Six wheat varieties with yellow rust at Real Results trial site

Six out of 32 wheat varieties at BASF’s Real Results trial farm at Stonham near Stowmarket have yellow rust according to BASF’s local agronomist, Matthew Keane who walked the plots earlier today.

“I last saw the trials just over a week ago and only Reflection, which is grown specifically for our yellow rust trials, was infected,” he says. “In the space of 10 days, LG Rhythm, Leeds, LG Spotlight, KWS Santiago, KWS Kerrin and Shabras are all showing quite significant disease.”

He foresees some further victims looking at the “tell-tale” discolouration that’s beginning to show on some leaves: “I suspect that KWS Lili, KWS Zyatt and Skyfall could all be infected by the time I walk the farm next week.

“The weather’s been conducive to yellow rust and follows the mild winter carry-over of inoculum, and I’m certainly not the only agronomist to have commented on seeing both yellow and brown rust during field walking this week.”

He suggests that Septoria incidence is about what he’d expect given the weather, and not exceptionally prevalent.

“After last season and the dry conditions we’ve had this spring, inevitably farmers are thinking hard about their fungicide programmes, but based on what I’m seeing in the field, it would be a brave person to hold back on their T1 sprays,” he notes. “We live in the UK and it will get wet, so Septoria will always be a worry; and anyone that can predict whether rain will fall between now and T2 is a better man than me!”

T1 timing is likely to be at the usual time for the region, he suggests. “I’m anticpating that T1 timing will be in 10-days to two-weeks, so on or around the 20^thof April.”

The varieties trial were sown late, following sugar beet, and are part of the BASF network of Real Resutls trials.

“The varieties will have various programmes of T1 and T2 chemistry based upon Triazole and SDHI combinations, including Adexar at T1 follwed by Librax at T2.

“I’ve worked my whole career with epoxiconazole and it’s still the standout option on yellow rust.”

Prior to working as an agronomy manager with BASF, Matthew Keane spent 14 years in BASF’s development trials and prior to that was with Morley also running crop trials. The son of an engineer with an environmental science degree, his passion for farming was sparked as an apple picker and tractor driver on Aubourn Estate.

There will be Real Results open days a a number of farms in the network in June and July, including one at Mowness Hall, Stonham on 28 June from 10am to 1pm.. Full details can be found at https://basfrealresults.co.uk/farms/

Full Real Results Open Day details: