The weather over the winter and spring has generally been agreeable and supportive of crop growth and development. Crops are now responding to Nitrogen applications and autumn sown cereals are at growth stages that trigger some key spray applications.
Wild oats
‘Wild oats in winter wheat or barley that have not already been treated should be the number one priority’ according to Billy Cotter from Syngenta.
‘Wild oats are better controlled at earlier growth stages, and it is important to get herbicides, like Axial Pro, on to both the mainstem and tillers before crop shading becomes an issue. Avoid spraying when the wild oats are not growing actively, keep to recommended rates and follow sequencing guidelines around broadleaf herbicides to get the best results’ Billy advised.
PGR’s best use advice
Plant Growth Regulators work best on unstressed, actively growing crops. Avoid spraying if frost is expected. It is also best not to spray during periods when daytime and nighttime temperatures are fluctuating significantly.
‘We have seen at this time of year where daytime temperatures rise to low 20 degrees centigrade and fall to low single figures at night. These temperature swings are rare but should be avoided when applying PGR’s in particular as they can lead to over-regulation and over-shortening of crops’.
‘It is also best to minimize the number of products in the tank’ he added.
‘Moddus +/- CCC is the standard on wheat, barley and oats. It delivers consistent lodging control through its activity on all three main causes of lodging – shortening and strengthening stems and enhancing crown root development’.
Nitrogen boost to crops
Vixeran, a nitrogen fixing endophyte was introduced to the market last year. ‘Vixeran is a nitrogen fixing, bacteria-based biofertilizer which allows your crop to fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere’ explains Billy Cotter.
‘Applied to cereals at or around GS 30, the bacteria get to work fixing nitrogen and making it available to the crop. This boost, which can deliver up to 30kg N/ha supports crops during the rapid growth phase between growth stage 30 and 39’.
‘Vixeran comes in a 250 gram sachet treating 5 hectares. It can be co- applied with most products used around this time, but again try to avoid complicated tank mixes’ Billy added.
First fungicides on wheat and barley
Winter barley crops are showing variable disease levels. Net blotch, mildew and brown rust are the most reported diseases at the moment, but Rhynchosporium is also present in some crops.
‘The spectrum of disease in crops underlines the importance of using truly broad spectrum fungicides at this early timing’ according to Billy Cotter.
‘Elatus Era is a great option for the first fungicide on winter barley. It contains prothioconazole and the SDHI fungicide Solatenol. This combination delivers a high level of control of the traditional diseases like net blotch and Rhynchosporium but will also deal with the levels of mildew and brown rust being seen in crops at present,’ said Billy.
Use a broad spectrum fungicide such as Elatus Era to control brown rust and other diseases
Septoria is predictably the most visible disease in wheat crops at present, though yellow rust is featuring in some of the main growing areas.
According to Billy Cotter, ‘T1 is the key timing for control of both these diseases, but there is an opportunity at T0 to reduce the burden on later applied fungicides’.
‘Folpet containing products, are a good choice at T0 to keep Septoria in check and if yellow rust is on the advance it is worth considering the inclusion of a class leading Solatenol based product. Bear in mind that Solatenol containing products can be used only once in a programme and SDHI chemistry a maximum of twice’ he added.
For more information please click here.
The weather over the winter and spring has generally been agreeable and supportive of crop growth and development. Crops are now responding to Nitrogen applications and autumn sown cereals are at growth stages that trigger some key spray applications.
Wild oats
‘Wild oats in winter wheat or barley that have not already been treated should be the number one priority’ according to Billy Cotter from Syngenta.
‘Wild oats are better controlled at earlier growth stages, and it is important to get herbicides, like Axial Pro, on to both the mainstem and tillers before crop shading becomes an issue. Avoid spraying when the wild oats are not growing actively, keep to recommended rates and follow sequencing guidelines around broadleaf herbicides to get the best results’ Billy advised.
PGR’s best use advice
Plant Growth Regulators work best on unstressed, actively growing crops. Avoid spraying if frost is expected. It is also best not to spray during periods when daytime and nighttime temperatures are fluctuating significantly.
‘We have seen at this time of year where daytime temperatures rise to low 20 degrees centigrade and fall to low single figures at night. These temperature swings are rare but should be avoided when applying PGR’s in particular as they can lead to over-regulation and over-shortening of crops’.
‘It is also best to minimize the number of products in the tank’ he added.
‘Moddus +/- CCC is the standard on wheat, barley and oats. It delivers consistent lodging control through its activity on all three main causes of lodging – shortening and strengthening stems and enhancing crown root development’.
Nitrogen boost to crops
Vixeran, a nitrogen fixing endophyte was introduced to the market last year. ‘Vixeran is a nitrogen fixing, bacteria-based biofertilizer which allows your crop to fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere’ explains Billy Cotter.
‘Applied to cereals at or around GS 30, the bacteria get to work fixing nitrogen and making it available to the crop. This boost, which can deliver up to 30kg N/ha supports crops during the rapid growth phase between growth stage 30 and 39’.
‘Vixeran comes in a 250 gram sachet treating 5 hectares. It can be co- applied with most products used around this time, but again try to avoid complicated tank mixes’ Billy added.
First fungicides on wheat and barley
Winter barley crops are showing variable disease levels. Net blotch, mildew and brown rust are the most reported diseases at the moment, but Rhynchosporium is also present in some crops.
‘The spectrum of disease in crops underlines the importance of using truly broad spectrum fungicides at this early timing’ according to Billy Cotter.
‘Elatus Era is a great option for the first fungicide on winter barley. It contains prothioconazole and the SDHI fungicide Solatenol. This combination delivers a high level of control of the traditional diseases like net blotch and Rhynchosporium but will also deal with the levels of mildew and brown rust being seen in crops at present,’ said Billy.
Use a broad spectrum fungicide such as Elatus Era to control brown rust and other diseases
Septoria is predictably the most visible disease in wheat crops at present, though yellow rust is featuring in some of the main growing areas.
According to Billy Cotter, ‘T1 is the key timing for control of both these diseases, but there is an opportunity at T0 to reduce the burden on later applied fungicides’.
‘Folpet containing products, are a good choice at T0 to keep Septoria in check and if yellow rust is on the advance it is worth considering the inclusion of a class leading Solatenol based product. Bear in mind that Solatenol containing products can be used only once in a programme and SDHI chemistry a maximum of twice’ he added.
For more information please click here.
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