2017 - Why T0 fungicides are vital for protection against Septoria

With the first signs of Septoria already being reported in many parts of the UK, T0 fungicides will be vital in most crops this season.

Despite some intermittent cold snaps, the winter weather across the majority of the UK has been dominated by unseasonally warm conditions.  Any frosts that have been incurred (particularly in southern and western counties) have been relatively light and short-lived.  Rainfall-wise it has been a mixed picture: some regions have had a warm and dry winter, while others have been warm and wet.  In both cases, Septoria levels are likely to be high, due largely to the lack of seriously cold weather which has aided the proliferation of Septoria.

The mild weather has also led to some strong plant growth during the winter, resulting in particularly forward and advanced crops.  As well as providing the ideal conditions for plant development, this uncharacteristically warm weather has also been ideal for the winter development of several foliar diseases.

Evidence of early Septoria infections is already being reported in winter wheats across the UK, and unless there is a significant period of hard frosts between now and the end of March, preventative T0 applications will be necessary to protect crops against Septoria and rust infections.

T0 applications should therefore include a multi-site such as those in the folpet-based family of fungicides: not only to provide effective protection against Septoria, but also to protect any chosen partner azole against further erosion of efficacy due to resistance.

And, with folpet-based fungicides also active against rusts, an early season multi-site application will give an extra layer of crop protection.