'Armageddon' of disease pressures need not spell the end of the world for early wheat drilling

摘要

Early drilling to maximise wheat cropping and cut costs by spreading workloads is still worthwhile, despite this year's "Armageddon" or disease pressure, lodging fears, barley yellow dwarf virus and rampant blackgrass, according to experts at Cereals2012. Faced with lOOha of late wheat, worth 150/t, never getting drilled, early drilling remained hugely appealing, said Yorkshire's AICC agronomist Patrick Stephenson. But after last autumn's surge in early drilling led to significant challenges, this spring growers needed to focus on the whole management plan. "This year has been the Armageddon for disease control really," he acknowledged. "Early-drilled Oakley in Northumberland has already had a T5 fungicide and we'll need a T6. But if it yields well, which it looks like it will, it will have paid off."