The unusual yellow rust observations noted at various Recommended List (RL) trial sites are not fully reflected in the field.
While some agronomists are seeing the disease in varieties considered resilient, others are reporting nothing out of the ordinary. See https://www.aafarm.er.co.uk/agronomy/ahdb-warns-of-possible-new-yellow-rust-strain.html
In the north, AICC President Patrick Stephenson likens the situation to a plague, with the disease established in resilient varieties like Typhoon, Champion, Dawsum and Oxford. Multiple more have signs of the disease with 27 varieties at the Sunderland RL site affected. Ironically, Patrick reports it isn’t rampant in Skyfall or Extase.
Go further north into the Scottish Borders and East Lothian, FMC technical manager Antonia Walker always expects to find the disease. This year is no different but there have been no surprises with the disease confined to the “usual suspects”.
In Kent, Crop Management Partners agronomist Tristan Gibbs says the disease has infected various varieties, including SY Cheer, a variety thought to have good juvenile resistance.
However, north of the Thames, Alex Hall of Ceres Rural reports nothing outside the norm, nor has he heard of anything out of the ordinary from colleagues.
To monitor UK rust populations, the UKCPVS needs samples from infected leaves taken from geographically diverse areas and various wheat varieties. With the wide variation in field reports the AHDB needs to receive as many samples as possible.
For more information, visit the UKCPVS website; https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/uk-cereal-pathogen-virulence-survey-ukcpvs
