Late season disease control vital to maintain grain quality and marketing options

With grain prices continuing to fluctuate in an unpredictable wheat market, growers are being urged to go all out this season to protect crop quality with a key fungicide application at the T3 timing, and maximise their returns.

And, while current disease thresholds appear to be low on account of the relatively cool conditions being experienced across the country, a prolonged spell of warmer, wetter weather could rapidly increase the levels of disease inoculum in wheat crops as the season progresses.

The key thing for growers this season is to maintain the quality of their wheat to ensure it meets the stringent requirements of the millers with low levels of mycotoxins and good grain quality, says Graham Dickinson of agrochemical manufacturer, Rotam.

Its a buyers market at the moment and growers need to optimise their available markets, he adds.

He says that, so far this season, farmers seem to have heeded the warnings about yellow rust, keeping the disease at bay with appropriate control programmes. But this could all go to waste if they let down their guard late in the season and let fusarium in, he stresses.

Mr Dickinson suggests that growers could look to using a tried and trusted active in the shape of recently launched triazole Odin (tebuconazole), for a cost effective T3 treatment.

People recognise that tebuconazole is one of the best late season triazoles for the control of fusarium ear blight, and it should be used in all situations where mycotoxins are a key threat, he says.

Last year was kind in terms of mycotoxin levels in wheat, but weve seen in the past the stringent testing and quality requirements that come into force in a bad season, points out Mr Dickinson.

With HGCA-funded research suggesting that using appropriate azoles at half to full rate significantly reduces mycotoxin DON concentrations in harvested grain, he suggests that Odin should be tank mixed with a strobilurin, depending on the level of threat on farm.

Strobilurin choice is down to the individual, but mixing them with a triazole like tebuconazole is key to helping mitigate the risk of septoria resistance to strobs for the future, he adds.

Cambridgeshire farmer, Alan Fuller used Odin for the first time on his winter wheat last season at his 500 hectare, Cross Leys Farm, Thornhaugh near Peterborough.

We do an ear spray more often than not these days principally because we are more cautious of the variable weather, and also because of the markets tightening up on mycotoxins, he comments.

He says that each year he runs through various risk assessments to determine the risk of mycotoxins in his wheat, the majority of which is destined for feed. However, because his mycotoxin levels are invariably low, some varieties find their way into premium markets.

In 2009 we had a low mycotoxin risk situation, but it still warranted a treatment. We applied Odin on its own at T3 that was sufficient in keeping the crops clean. In higher risk situations we would add in prothioconazole to the mix, he states.

Its vitally important that we produce a saleable crop, and nine times out of 10 we would go for a T3 treatment. So, from our point of view, Odin has a key role as an ear wash spray in medium and low risk situations, says Mr Fuller.

Pointing out that Odin cost him around 5-7 per hectare for his T3 treatment in 2009, Mr Fuller judges it to have been a cost effective treatment. Odin has brought tebuconazole back into the fold on a cost basis for use as a late season ear spray, protecting our crop through to harvest.

Rotam CropSciences Ltd conducts fully integrated research & development, registration, manufacturing, marketing and technical support on a worldwide basis. It operates in 56 countries including the major agricultural markets of EU, Brazil and NAFTA and has 46 companies with worldwide presence.