Yesterday stripe rust was observed for the first time on our Victorian Crop Technology Centre at Gnarwarre, just north of Winchelsea in the Victorian HRZ. The observation on a coded wheat variety (with no flutriafol at sowing) coincides with the first observations in commercial paddocks in the region in wheat varieties Big Red and RGT Cesario. In the case of Big Red there was no flutriafol applied at sowing, but that was not the case with RGT Cesario.
We know from 2022 and 2023 that RGT Cesario is susceptible to stripe rust in the HRZ regions of Victoria, Tasmania and SA. Big Red had stripe rust infection in 2023 and so we need to be more vigilant in the variety this season as the variety has been widely grown across the HRZ region along with RGT Cesario. Despite drier conditions in 2023 (that look even drier for a number of regions in 2024), stripe rust was the biggest cause of yield loss to disease in our Victorian, SA and Tasmanian HRZ wheat crops.
Action
- Check your wheat crops for stripe rust infection now.
- This is a key wheat development stage to prevent infection.
- As the disease starts in foci (small patches) look for yellow discoloured patches in your paddocks. Infections spreads out from these small patches to infect the whole paddock (see photos below).
With crops at early stem elongation, it’s important that this disease is controlled before the “money leaves (Flag, Flag-1, Flag-2 & Flag-3) become infected. The first of these leaves start emerging at GS30-31.
For more information on disease control and different development timings for application see inGRAINed issue 4 by clicking on the READ MORE tab below.
Disclaimer
This cropping strategy is offered by Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia solely to provide information. While all due care has been taken in compiling the information FAR Australia and employees take no responsibility for any person relying on the information and disclaims all liability for any errors or omissions in the publication. Field Applied Research (FAR) Australia gratefully acknowledge GRDC investment for the historical fungicide evaluation under controlled conditions.
