EARLY disease prevention seems to be a key element these days of growers' spray programmes for winter wheat, according to a recent survey.

Conducted among more than 100 cereal growers by Syngenta, it revealed that ‘using a preventative approach to keep wheat clean’ was the No 1 cereal disease control lesson from last season. It was named by 78% of respondents, with 74% also saying ‘don’t let disease get established’.

To achieve this, the use of strongly preventative disease control at the T1 timing, which is typically around mid to late April, was high up in growers' plans. Of those using this approach in 2016, 93% said it was the right thing to have done.

Additionally, 81% said they were planning to use this approach this year. “T1 has always been a key timing in winter wheat because it starts the process of protecting the top three yield-building leaves,” said Syngenta's field technical manager, Iain Hamilton.

“However, with increased difficulty curing septoria tritici if it gets established, due to triazole fungicide sensitivity shifts, plus big concerns about yellow rust, T1 has taken on added importance.

“Although leaf three, which is the spray target for T1, contributes only 8% to yield – compared with 23% for leaf two and 43% for the flag leaf – its strategic importance goes beyond that," he argued.

“By achieving long-lasting prevention of disease on leaf three, a good T1 fungicide creates a line of defence to slow down the spread of septoria onto these higher leaf layers. So it is encouraging to see from the survey that the industry is taking T1 so seriously.”

Coinciding with the increased importance of early septoria and rust prevention, Mr Hamilton said that recent years have also seen a shift to increased inclusion of new-generation SDHI fungicides at T1.

“Historically, many growers would have relied on the azole fungicides plus Bravo at T1. But we have had to move beyond that. Applying the SDHI isopyrazam in mix with epoxiconazole, as in Keystone, has found an obvious fit at T1, with trials showing it delivers added persistence.

“By using a three-pronged strategy of SDHI + azole + multi-site fungicide at T1, it gives more of the preventative activity that’s needed,” he argued.

Some 68% in the survey felt it had become more important to use a strong preventative approach at T1 in winter wheat now than it was five years ago and 61% said the ‘use of a robust T1 fungicide in winter wheat’ was another disease control lesson from 2016.

“If we end up having a 2017 season where T2 sprays are delayed, then long-lasting disease prevention from T1 becomes all the more important,” said Mr Hamilton.