T3. Tailor the product choice to match your crop challenges.

There are essentially three main disease challenges in cereals at the T3 timing. Understanding which of these are relevant to your crop will be key to cost effective disease management and extending green leaf retention, vital for final yields.

T3 can be managed cost-effectively in terms of product choice in many situations following higher T2 spend.

T3 main aims and disease priorities:

• Protect grain quality from Fusarium.
• Keep on top of Rust infections this season.
• Top-up your foliar disease control.
• Final, cost-effective opportunity to protect crop yields.

Image courtesy of AHDB

Disease Focus: Septoria

T3 timing presents a final opportunity to top up protection against S. tritici. Unlike all other older triazoles, prothioconazole still offers useful activity against this disease. In high-pressure situations applying newer chemistry fungicides will deliver more activity against Septoria but check that products permit application at this growth stage and have activity against FHB.

Whilst some T3 sprays are applied at mid-flowering GS63-65, sprays can also be applied earlier at GS59 to help protect green leaf area sooner, and at this earlier timing, adding in a multi-site partner such as folpet to triazoles can be beneficial for added Septoria control and resistance management purposes. If retention of green leaf is important for any crops coming out of stressed conditions, consider a strobilurin such as azoxystrobin at T3 e.g. Clayton Augusta™.

Recommendations:

Image courtesy of AHDB

Disease Focus: Fusarium Head Blight (FHB)

Careful choice in terms of fungicide products at T3 will help growers protect grain quality from Fusarium. The disease is closely associated with key risk factors; rainfall at flowering increases infection risk significantly and previous cropping with maize is also a major risk factor.

Whilst a number of fusarium species can cause FHB and associated yield loss, Fusarium avenaceum, F. culmorum and F. graminearum are the pathogens associated with mycotoxin limit exceedances in grain.

Microdochium nivale is also widespread and a major cause of yield loss through FHB, although it does not produce mycotoxins. Product choice and timing are key to effective management of FHB.

Fungicides should be applied at mid-flowering GS 63-65. High rates of tebuconazole will effectively control fusarium species whilst the addition of prothioconazole is required for control of M. nivale. Clayton Navaro^™ makes an ideal choice applied at 0.75-1.0L.

Recommendations:

Image courtesy of AHDB

Disease Focus: Brown & Yellow Rust

Brown rust is typically associated with warm conditions at this time of year and current weather conditions are now conducive for disease development and spread.

Good management of Brown rust can be achieved cost-effectively with the use of tebuconazole.

Apply 125g/ha tebuconazole (0.5L Clayton Tebucon 250EW™), and make sure to check if you are growing varieties on the recommended list with key weaknesses to this disease.

T3 also disease control top ups to protect yield, especially with Yellow rust pressure building up now in areas as well as AHDB reports of possible sensitivity shifts in more resistant varieties this season.

Recommendations:

T3 Fungicides Disease Control:

Explore all options in our latest bulletin and make sure you’re ready for whatever the season brings.

Need help selecting your T3 strategy?

For further information on products in this update and our full product range, Get in touch with our Technical Team:

Will Ridgwell – Commercial Manager – will@claytonpp.com
Martyn Rogers – Product Development Manager – martyn@claytonpp.com

Information in this update does not constitute a recommendation; it is for guidance only. Detailed information about our products can be found on our website. Brand names used in this update are trademarks of Clayton Plant Protection. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use.