IF you thought rust decisions are all about rain in your crop – think again.
Heat is just as big a problem.
And industry guru Dr Grant Hollaway will be explaining where it can all go wrong for you when he attends the annual Birchip Cropping Group Main Field Day on Wednesday at Nullawil.
On the upside, he will also provide growers with the tools to make the right decision when things do start going wrong with rust.
“The biggest driver of disease is rainfall frequency, that is, the number of wet days we get in a row,” the plant pathologist expert said.
“The second is heat.
“I think a major challenge for growers at present is knowing whether further protection is warranted in a season like this where there is yield potential, but it hasn’t been super wet.
“Also, in the back of our minds, are seasons such as we had in 2016 and 2022, where on both occasions the spring turned wet, and timely crop protection was required.”
The effect of wind may also be on growers’ minds and concern for the potential for spores to be cast across the district.
Dr Hollaway, however, believes the strong winds are problematic, more so, because they are preventing growers from accessing paddocks to spray the rust.
“A susceptible variety which cannot be sprayed for 10 days due to wind is not a situation I want growers to be in,” he said.
“At BCG’s Main Field Day I’m looking forward to discussing with growers the importance of variety selection and how to prioritise the management of crops they currently have in the ground to maximise production.”
Dr Hari Dadu from Agriculture Victoria and BCG’s Thomas Jones will also be speaking at the Smart Disease Management session at at Nullawil.
Other topics at BCG’s Main Field Day include nitrogen management, high yielding wheat, fatigue management with farmer Mark Modra, pulse diseases and varieties, vetch varieties and end use, canola establishment, disease management, National Variety Trial cereal results and a herbicide matrix.
The field day is at 196 Nullawil North Road, Nullawil and you can register at www.bcg.org.au/events.
The event will run from 8am to 4pm (breakfast provided) and is free for BCG members and $50 for non-members.
For biosecurity reasons please ensure all footwear and vehicles are free of soil before visiting the site.
