THOSE WHO think that the cold weather has killed off their crops’ chances of being hit by yellow rust, should think again, says an industry expert, who reckons that once temperatures rise, they could be in real trouble.

Nickerson’s Paul Fenwick, one of the UK’s leading plant pathologists, says that while the big freeze will have certainly delayed the prospect of infection, such is the UK’s overwhelming reliance on susceptible varieties, the disease is only in short-term remission.

He says: “The danger is that growers will assume that the exceptionally low temperatures which have been experienced throughout the country this winter have eliminated the threat from yellow rust. That is most definitely not the case, especially with more susceptible varieties, bearing in mind that 40% of the crop, based on seed certifications, is in varieties rated 4 or less for yellow rust.”

Looking ahead, Mr Fenwick advises: “Growers should carefully consider the revised Recommended List resistance ratings. Nine of the 15 varieties which the HGCA rates as being ‘highly resistant’ (8 or 9) to yellow rust come from the Nickerson stable. They include Claire, which even after 10 years on the Recommended List, is still highly resistant to the disease.”