Hugh Wallwork, Senior Plant Pathologist SARDI has produced this fact sheet which provides information on choice of seed or in-furrow treatments for wheat and barley and smut control for wheat, barley and oats.

Hugh says that the very dry spring conditions in 2006 will mean there is greatly reduced carryover of inoculum of most plant diseases leading into 2007.  This will be specifically true for foliar diseases controlled by seed or in-furrow treatments.

Experience tells us however that the rust epidemics are not always predictable.  Stripe rust was expected to be widespread throughout South Australia in 2006 owing to the prevalence of the disease in 2005 and the extensive areas of volunteer wheat during the summer of 2006.  Instead it was stem rust that was the main survivor over summer.  This was unexpected given the very low levels at which stem rust had been observed in previous years. 

Powdery mildew was a problem in some wheat crops on the lower Eyre Peninsula.  One of the likely reasons is that Wyalkatchem is more susceptible than other varieties and the widespread use of this variety has allowed inoculum levels to increase.  Extensive summer volunteers will also have assisted carryover of inoculum through summer.  It is likely that products that control powdery mildew in barley will also be effective in wheat.  They are not however registered for this use.

The net form of net blotch continues to be a concern in barley.  The dry spring conditions means that inoculum carryover to 2007 is likely to be much lower than usual.  The varieties currently most affected are Barque and Yarra.

This fact sheet is available from your nearest PIRSA office.