Yellow rust infections in high rated wheat varieties
Growers should check wheat crops for yellow rust infections even if they are growing a variety with a high resistance rating, following concerns that a new race of the disease is being seen in the UK.
Across the country farmers are seeing unprecedented levels of yellow rust, especially in later sown winter wheat crops.
We think that this level of infection is due to either a mutation of the current yellow rust race or a completely new race of the disease being present in the UK.
This means that even crops with a disease resistance rating of eight and nine, such as Skyscraper or Spotlight, are showing signs of the disease.
If left unchecked the disease could cause serious yield penalties.
The disease reduces the photosynthetic area of the plant, causing significant yield loss down the line. Growers could see yield losses of as much as 70 per cent on a highly susceptible cultivar if not controlled, but the average yield loss from the disease if left untreated is around 40 per cent.
Growers need to get out and check their crops for the disease and if it is present act with a fungicide application at T0.
Jeff Fieldsend is commercial technical manager at agricultural sciences company FMC
