AVOIDING an early onset of stripe rust and keeping it at bay is going to be the main challenge for north-west Victorian wheat growers in what could be another extreme season for rust this year.
Agriculture Victoria is encouraging farmers to take decisive action to reduce the ‘green bridge’ and be proactive in the use of fungicide treatments at sowing to reduce early season rust.
Agriculture Victoria researcher Dr Hari Dadu said large yield losses during the 2022 season were reported by wheat growers in areas where stripe rust wasn’t well controlled.
“Rust outbreaks tend to be more severe in seasons following wet summers when volunteer cereals, known as the ‘green bridge’, carry stripe rust across from one year to the next new wheat crop,” Dr Dadu says.
“A ‘green bridge’ of volunteer cereals will provide a significant opportunity for rust to survive this summer to infect this year’s crops,” he sai.
“High soil-water levels have made this a widespread problem across eastern Australia.”
Dr Dadu says rust only survives on living plants and not on seed, stubble or soil, which is why disease management is important following wet summers.
“Growers need to avoid susceptible cultivars and use up-front fungicides (such as flutriafol on fertiliser) to significantly reduce the stripe rust risk in paddocks.
“Last year showed the benefits of using fungicides at sowing to slow stripe rust development providing more time for extra foliar fungicide applications during the season.”
Dr Dadu recommended the following proactive management steps:
● Remove the green bridge of volunteer cereals either with herbicide or by grazing by mid-March.
● Use the current cereal disease guide go.vic.gov.au/3IYyj7J to check rust resistance ratings (2023 editions due out late this month).
● Develop a fungicide management plan, with an emphasis on up-front options such as flutriafol.
● Download the StripeRustWM modelling tool at www.agric.wa.gov.au/apps/striperustwm.
