- In the first in a series of BASF Funginars, Dr Stephen Kildea, Senior Research Officer Teagasc and David Leahy, BASF Business Development Manager for Ireland gave growers the opportunity to learn from their Irish experience
In Ireland barley is by far the most important cereal grown, accounting for 66% of all cereals. Growing conditions are ideal for the crop with stable dampness and mildness, which also means the perfect breeding ground for diseases.
Steven said, “Barley is sink limited and so yield is dictated by the number of tillers and ears that the crop maintains. Our disease control strategy has to try to protect the barley both early in the season to protect yield creation, and then later in the season to protect yield potential.
“Disease control has to start with preventing or suppressing disease and varietal choice is key, however, although varietal resistance is increasing some weaknesses still exist, with as yet no varietal resistance for Ramularia.
“Basic agronomy decisions can alleviate disease pressures, for example the position of the crop in the rotation can influence the carryover of Rhynchosporium and net blotch as can the sowing date.”
When devising a fungicide programme, the chemistry has to be matched to the disease and the risk which will differ with the season and the inherent risks.
David said, “In barley the big foliar diseases are Ramularia, Rhynchosporium and Net Blotch. Ramularia needs to be in your mind from day one. By controlling primary diseases such as Rhynchosporium and Net Blotch there is a positive effect on secondary diseases such as Ramularia. Having a robust approach to disease control on barley from start to finish will help mitigate the threat posed by Ramularia. This is largely linked to reducing stress on the crop which is central to delaying Ramularia onset. Growers can’t do much about crop stress caused by the weather, but they can ensure crops establish well and keep them clean and well-nourished, reducing the risk of stress later in the season.
At BASF we have solutions that can manage disease from T1 all the way through to T2.”
Tevos® is a new solution for barley crops ideal for use at T1, a combination of F500® the best strobilurin for barley and Xemium® the best SDHI for barley. Tevos® is a unique non- prothioconazole based offer which can be used either as a solo or in combination with prothioconazole if desired, especially where disease pressure is high.
“We’ve had access to this Tevos® type of solution in Ireland for many years and it is performing very well. Last year it delivered unrivalled Rhynchosporium control in what was a high pressure season. Not getting on top of disease at T1 risks compromising yield but also puts a strain on the later chemistry. The combination of Xemium® and F500® at T1 sets the crop up to perform. Xemium® is the strongest solution for Rhynchosporium, building yield and reducing brackling and F500® is not only the most effective active ingredient against net blotch, including the F129L mutation, which is very common in the UK, but also delivers proven physiological benefits which significantly reduce plant stresses.
“With the main source of net blotch infection being stubble and volunteer plants, the gravitation to direct drilling and min till really adds to the risk of net blotch when establishing barley crops into these systems. This year in Ireland and the UK the mild winter means there is more net blotch in winter barley than in previous years. If we allow the disease to develop at T1 then it will populate further up through the canopy and we will begin to lose yield.”
Whilst the T1 spray is all about creating yield potential, ultimately the T2 timing is all about maintaining that potential.
“Revystar® XE, with its combination of Xemium® and Revysol® is ideally suited to the T2 timing. The Revysol®component is the strongest azole on Ramularia, and there is a direct correlation between good Ramularia control and good brackling control. Xemium® is an extremely effective SDHI on straw brackling which can be an issue for modern hybrids and spring barley varieties. Not only does Xemium® bring straw benefits but also ensures prolonged Rhynchosporium control.”
Funginar#1 – `Barley disease update, what`s up?` can be watched on replay here http://in.basf.com/okq2k6p
The next in the series of live Funginars, Funginar #2 will consider disease control and nitrogen efficiency on Thursday 10th March 8.00- 9.00 a.m. Guest speakers Dr Julie Smith (ADAS) and Dr Jon Helliwell (BASF) will explore key learnings from the 2021 season and will discuss new independent data from ADAS highlighting the role of fungicides in enhancing Nitrogen Use Efficiency.
2 BASIS and 2 NRoSO points are available.
Upcoming Funginars and replay versions can be found here
Image from left to right Dr Stephen Kildea and David Leahy
