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18 May 2017 - by Andrew Bailey - Cereals Fungicide Technical Specialist
1 min

2017 - T3: Protecting ear and leaf health

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With T2 applications in full swing, growers’ attention will soon be switching to T3 treatments and how to provide the best ongoing protection against ear blight and foliar diseases.

T3 spray applications are essential for protecting wheat ear health and for giving extended ‘top-up’ protection against foliar diseases such as Septoria and rusts – especially brown rust. 

Ear blight complex – caused by mycotoxin forming Fusarium species (F. culmorum and F. graminearum) and Microdochium species (M. nivale and M. majus) – can reduce yield and grain quality, with Microdochium also resulting in infected seed which leads to poor germination in the subsequent crop. Wheat crops following maize are at high risk of infection, with wet conditions at flowering exacerbating the risk for all crops.

Effective protection is therefore essential, especially as the current spell of wet weather, which has brought an abrupt end to a long period of dry, almost drought-like conditions, could spell danger for vulnerable crops, especially if it continues to rain up to and around flowering.

To effectively combat these varying disease pressures, growers are advised to use a mixture of azole chemistries which will provide a broad-spectrum of control on the top two leaves of maturing plants as well as safe-guarding wheat ears: the optimal timing for applications is at early flowering, ensuring good ear coverage via the use of an appropriately angled nozzle.

As T3 relies heavily on azoles to provide control of ear blight, the selection pressure exerted on Septoria at this timing is increased on the population ready for the disease cycle to start in the next season. Therefore, from a Septoria resistance management perspective, there are options for growers to potentially reduce this selection pressure by either adding a T3-approved multi-site (e.g. Chlorothalonil) or by selecting a product such as Orius® P which is a mixture of a triazole (Tebuconazole) and an imidazole (Prochloraz). Prochloraz is known to select for a different profile of insensitive strains to the triazoles and therefore it can help reduce Septoria selection pressure at this late stage in the season.

ORIUS® P is Adama’s ‘go-to’ fungicide in these circumstances thanks to its twin azole composition: containing 133 g/l Tebuconazole and 267 g/l Prochloraz, ORIUS® P provides outstanding results against T3 ear diseases including Microdochium and Fusarium. By providing on-going protection to the flag leaf and ear, it also ensures yield and grain quality through to harvest.

ORIUS® P is also effective against Rusts and Septoria, therefore making it a truly versatile T3 fungicide and one which will provide good levels of protection for the maturing crop.

Download Adama's invaluable Resistance Management Guide here...

Resistance Management Guide

Andrew Bailey - Cereals Fungicide Technical Specialist
Andrew Bailey - Cereals Fungicide Technical Specialist
One of the UK arable sector’s most experienced fungicide specialists. With a background in applied biology (specialising in crop science and plant pathology), and with a career spanning 30 years in field based research, fungicide development and fungicide technical support, Andy has worked in the crop protection sector on a UK, European and global level.

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