| Arable
Bayer NZ’s Disease Watch tracks threats to crops
Sharing information about diseases and how to combat them is the best way for cereal farmers to stay on top of
common diseases and increase yields.
hat’s the view of
Bayer New
Zealand which this
September is re-
launching Disease
Watch after a
successful debut in 2016. Disease
Watch is an initiative that tracks
disease threats by region and
advises farmers on how to combat
these threats.
To track diseases, Bayer set up
small trial plots of wheat and
barley in various locations from
Palmerston North down to South
Canterbury. These plots did not
receive a fungicide thanks to the
kindness of co-operating farmers.
As disease threats arise in the
trial plots, the company is able to
warn farmers and more
importantly advise on the best
treatment for the crop.
Bayer arable specialist, Neil
Waddingham, says the trial plots
began in 2016 and will continue for
the foreseeable future.
“It might be a simple Number 8
wire approach, but this information
is really important to farmers and
gives them a much clearer picture
of what to expect from the
forthcoming growing season.”
Bayer is not only encouraging
farmers to sign-up to Disease
Watch, but also to share
information from their own farms.
“We’ve set up a Disease Watch
website portal, which includes
disease updates, a handy
fungicide disease planner, as well
as information on enhancing crop
T
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
health and managing resistance.
“While we can provide regional
updates on disease threats, we
also encourage farmers to share
information via the website portal
on what’s happening with their
crops – even if it’s just sending us
a photo.That way we can get an
even more comprehensive view of
disease threats and
correspondingly what fungicide
control programs work the best.
The end result of course is
increasing yields and ultimately
the profitability of the crop,” says
Neil.
Waddingham also adds that
cereal farmers are acutely aware of
common diseases such as
Septoria, scald and powdery
mildew, but perhaps not so much
the impact on yields.
“At one of our trial plots near
Palmerston North, where we are
testing a new fungicide, we saw
Septoria leaf blotch reduce crop
yield by 85%, which was a yield
loss of close to eight tonnes per
hectare.
“Another example was a trial
crop near Timaru where Bayer
recorded a six tonne per hectare
loss from Septoria leaf blotch,
even when the disease didn’t
develop in the crop until late in the
season,” concludes Neil.
For more information on
Disease Watch and to access
Bayer’s fungicide disease planner,
visit
https://www.cropscience.bayer.co.
nz/tools/disease-planner
September 2017 | Farming Monthly | 17