New guides
Graingrowers are better equipped to access and manage their disease risk this season after the release of Agriculture Victoria’s cereal and pulse disease guides.
The annual crop disease guides, which are produced with support from Grains Research and Development Corporation, detail how susceptible new and commonly grown wheat, barley, oats, triticale, lentil, chickpea, field pea, faba bean, lupin and vetch varieties are to a range of crop diseases.
This year’s edition of the Pulse Disease Guide includes an explanation of a new pulse-disease rating system being implemented this year.
Agriculture Victoria research scientist Joshua Fanning said pulse-disease rating definitions had been revised nationally.
“Some disease ratings have changed to reflect this,” he said.
“Growers should consult the disease guide for the latest ratings and definitions to plan disease management.”
Dr Fanning said this season, a proactive disease-management strategy would reduce the risk of pulse diseases and subsequent yield losses.
The 2020 pulse and cereal disease guides are available on the Agriculture Victoria website, agriculture.vic.gov.au.