Action in autumn reduces pressure from stripe rust

Plant Pathologists with NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are recommending growers protect young wheat crops from autumn and winter infections of stripe rust by eliminating the green bridge and using seed-applied or ‘in-furrow’ fungicides.

This is particularly important for early-sown crops according to a newly released publication Stripe rust: understanding the disease in wheat by Dr Gordon Murray, Colin Wellings and Steven Simpfendorfer.

"Widespread use of fungicides on seed or in-furrow at sowing, combined with eliminating the green bridge before sowing, will reduce the build up of stripe rust during autumn and winter and delay the onset of the spring epidemic," Dr Murray said.

"This will make control in spring more manageable."

He said when sowing wheat for grazing and grain, the grower should check the withholding period for the seed or in-furrow treatment, and use one that would permit grazing at the required time.

"Sowing resistant varieties will further reduce the chances of build up and spread of stripe rust.

"If these measures are widely used, they should delay the start of the epidemic and thus reduce the number of sprays needed to control stripe rust," Dr Murray said.

He said demand for information on stripe rust had been strong this year with the first print run of the stripe rust publication being snapped up.

For more information contact:

Media contact: Dr Gordon Murray on (02) 6938 1879.