Cereal Diseases Reach 20 Year High, says Teagasc

Issued: Thursday, 20 June, 2002

The unprecedented wet spell has resulted in disease pressures on cereal crops reaching their highest level in 20 years, according to a Teagasc tillage expert.

Jim O'Mahony, Chief Tillage Adviser with Teagasc told farmers attending the National Tillage Open Day at Oak Park Research Centre, Carlow that 20% of the country's barley crop is particularly affected.

He announced that farmers who lose a crop or part of a crop due to waterlogging are not required to deduct this area from their application for EU aid. He also confirmed that it is not necessary to inform the Department of Agriculture and Food about these lost areas.

''The only exception to this rule is for crops which were not sown prior to 31 May and could not be sown since because of poor weather. In these limited situations, farmers must contact the Department and withdraw these areas from the application for EU aid'', he said.

The Head of the Teagasc Research Centre at Oak Park, Dr Jim Burke, said the wet weather is leading to a proliferation of the newly discovered 'leaf spotting' disease on barley crops.

''This disease has been widespread on barley crops in recent years and, where uncontrolled, has led to substantial yield losses. The recent wet weather is the ideal environment for its spread''.

''However if farmers follow the control programme developed by Teagasc the worst effects of this disease can be averted. This involves using one of the cheaper triazole fungicides in the spraying programme'', he advised.

Dr Burke urged farmers to use robust levels of chemicals in order to combat high disease pressure and to top-dress spring crops with nitrogen immediately soil conditions allow.

Work by Teagasc researchers on new computer or internet-based technology aimed at fine-tuning cereal disease control strategies was also outlined at the open day. The technology involves the use of local weather information to predict the actual development of the disease on the crop.

Farmers were also shown work on new chemicals which can both prevent and eradicate a wide range of cereal diseases. According to Teagasc researcher, Dr Brendan Dunne, these chemicals may also result in a reduction in the number of times farmers need to spray their crops.

For information available at the open day, click here.