Cereals

Disease Control in Winter Wheat

Disease protection in winter wheat has a direct impact on yield quantity and quality. The flag leaf fungicide spray is the most important application of the season. It gives the biggest payback and is the most critical to get right.Wheat farmers require consistent quality and high yields. However, there are a number of challenges that farmers face when growing winter wheat. Along with different diseases, they may deal with extreme weather conditions such as drought or extreme heat. BASF fungicides are designed to allow flexibility in spray timing, weather independence and provide broad-spectrum protection.

Treating winter wheat with SDHIs will:

• control diseases
• increased nitrogen uptake
• reduced drought stress
• reduced sun stress
• increased host defence actions

Spring wheat is increasing in popularity as growers see the benefits of the crop as a management tool for rotation, workload, lower input costs and grass weed management. Early weed control is the key to spring cropping success. BASF provides effective weed control options as grass and broad-leaved weed populations have a negative effect on grain quality, harvest-ability and yield loss.An effective weed control strategy should also take into account the need to prevent weeds developing resistance.

Leaving weeds uncontrolled will:

• Increase the weed seed burden in the soil affecting other crops in the rotation
• Reduce the efficiency of combining
• Contaminate grain samples with weed seed
• Potentially increase moisture levels in the straw and grain
• Delay harvest
• Require pre-harvest desiccation
• Increase drying costs
• Impact marketable grain e.g. where high quality is demanded for malting and seed crops
• Increase the risk of resistance development