YELLOW RUST WARNING

wheat production are slim to non-existent.

Remember that the primary objective of winter wheat production is to make money, not to control disease.

In many discussions, resistance management has become shorthand for spending more money. This year we have been gifted excellent crops in great condition as we approach the bulking up phase of the production cycle. So far they hold promise of good yields. This is not an excuse for over the top fungicide programmes.

The following steps have controlled septoria for the last 60 years and the disease hasn’t yet changed sufficiently to warrant a change away from this approach: ÷Careful variety selection ÷Delaying sowing into the autumn ÷Well planned programmes based on three critical timings ÷Alternating the active ingredients and active ingredients grouping ÷use of multi-site contact fungicides.

The production of any crop is a constant battle with nature. The only inevitability is that nature will overcome our best efforts in the short term or the long term, nature has plenty of time on its side.

Septoria resistance is just one arena that nature is choosing to fight back and all we can do when faced with such odds is to make sure that while we continue with our puny efforts, we make money in the process.

Richard Hackett is an agronomist based in north Co Dublin and is a member of the ITCA and ACA.

Yellow rust is at alarming levels in many crops, Initially small pale circles are visible, rapidly followed by leaves completely covered with yellow to orange spores. Its development has been favoured by recent cool weather. Rust is present in most...