Growers urged to get on top of stripe rust early this season

Agriculture Victoria is encouraging farmers to take decisive action to reduce the 'green bridge' and be proactive in the use of fungicide treatments at sowing to reduce early season rust.

Agriculture Victoria Researcher, Dr Hari Dadu said large yield losses during the 2022 season were reported by wheat growers in areas where stripe rust wasn't well controlled.

"Rust outbreaks tend to be more severe in seasons following wet summers when volunteer cereals, known as the 'green bridge', carry stripe rust across from one year to the next new wheat crop," Dr Dadu said.

"A 'green bridge' of volunteer cereals will provide a significant opportunity for rust to survive this summer to infect this year's crops.

"High soil water levels have made this a widespread problem across eastern Australia."

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Dr Dadu said rust only survived on living plants and not on seed, stubble or soil, which was why disease management was important following wet summers.

"Growers need to avoid susceptible cultivars and use up-front fungicides (such as flutriafol on fertiliser) to significantly reduce the stripe rust risk in paddocks," he said.

"Last year showed the benefits of using fungicides at sowing to slow stripe rust development providing more time for extra foliar fungicide applications during the season."

Dr Dadu recommended the following proactive management steps:

. Remove the green bridge of volunteer cereals either with herbicide or by grazing by mid-March

. Use a current cereal disease guide go.vic.gov.au/3IYyj7J to check rust resistance ratings (2023 editions due out in late Feb)

. Develop a fungicide management plan, with an emphasis on up-front options such as flutriafol on fertiliser

. Download the rust modelling tool StripeRustWM, an iPad and tablet app from www.agric.wa.gov.au/apps/striperustwm.