Issue 3 of ‘InGRAINed’ should be read in conjunction with issues 4 and 5, to be released over the next two weeks. These will cover fungicides and products for particular strategies outlined in this issue.




National overview and key points
Although some regions of Australia have received average or above average rainfall (Figure 1), the majority of arable regions have experienced an exceptionally dry autumn and winter. This has resulted in two key differences that we need to consider in 2024 disease management strategies for wheat.

- As a general rule of thumb (with the exception of parts of NSW and QLD), the dry autumn
has resulted in later sown and later emerged cereal crops across our national acreage.
- Later emerging crops invariably have less need for fungicide input than earlier emerged
crops.
- Drier winter conditions combined with later sowing are likely to reduce the levels of foliar
disease in cereal crops this spring (less cycles of the disease pathogens).
- However, as 2023 illustrated, disease management input is still likely to be heavily
influenced by environmental conditions occurring during stem elongation (GS30-GS59), not necessarily dry autumn conditions.
- Stripe rust is “public enemy number one” for susceptible varieties grown in the eastern
states this season. Epoxiconazole (Group 3 DMI fungicide) is still very effective at giving
control of this pathogen if the disease is evident late tillering – first node (GS24-GS31).
- Although protection from fungicides is good, don’t bank on much more than 7 days
curative activity following an infection event of stripe rust. Curative control over 7 days
after an infection event will result in “scarring” becoming evident in the crop, even if
pustules are not evident (see next issue for more detail).
- Levels of stubble borne diseases such as Septoria tritici blotch (STB) in the eastern states are unlikely to be as high as those experienced at the start of 2023 (a result of generally drier weather last season reducing crop infection).
- Remember it’s the presence of the disease in the crop at GS30-32 and the weather patterns from GS31 onwards that will dictate the likelihood of fungicide response to STB.
Make sure you monitor rainfall events of more than 5mm during the period (GS31-GS39) when the “money leaves” (flag-3, flag-2, flag-1 and flag) emerge, as these are the most important leaves for grain fill.

Download the full document by clicking on the READ MORE tab.