Wheat growers planning to get an early start to drilling their first wheats are being advised to consider using one of the new seed treatments that has activity on foliar diseases as well as on seed and soil borne diseases.
"Growers must be aware that most of the varieties suitable for sowing before the middle of September have foliar disease weaknesses and will need early protection from the extra disease pressure that comes with early drilling," says independent variety consultant Richard Fenwick.
He singles out Consort and Solstice (Septoria tritici resistance) and Robigus (Yellow Rust resistance) as three varieties suitable for early drilling that are likely to benefit from a seed treatment such as Epona.
"The foliar disease pressure on early drilled first wheats can originate from set aside and adjacent stubble and it is subsequently encouraged by the advanced growth of early crops. The disease may not harm the crop in the autumn, but the build-up of inoculum will increase early disease pressure in the spring," Mr Fenwick says.
"There is now enough trials evidence to suggest that seed treatments based on fluquinconazole + prochloraz (Epona) can reduce the build-up of inoculum in the autumn and slow down disease development in the spring."
He points out that the disease risk is quite different for late-drilled wheats, the problem here being the damaging effect of seed and soil-borne diseases such as Michrodochium and Fusarium on seed growing slowly in cold, wet soils.
