Following the unmitigated wash-out of Autumn 2019 and the elevated importance of spring sown crops this year, Adama has launched an online crop protection portal to help growers tackle upcoming challenges. Charlotte Cunningham reports.

Containing a wealth of information regarding the protection of wheat and barley against diseases such as Septoria, rhynchosporium and ramularia, the new online guide also focuses on the importance of multi-site fungicides – not only to provide effective crop protection, but also to prolong the effectual lifetime of resistance susceptible single-site modes of action.

The portal also provides useful strategic advice for managing the increased area of spring sown crops in what is expected to be an extra-ordinary year in terms of cropping strategies, says Adama.

“In comparison to typical rotations, the current cropping cycle will undoubtedly contain a much higher proportion of spring sown cereals, pulses, oats and other crops,” explains Abbie Bieny, digital marketing specialist at Adama. “At the same time, the loss of key fungicide actives to regulatory resistrictions and the erosion in efficacy of many ‘single-site’ azole, SDHI and strobilurin fungicides by mounting disease resistance, means arable growers are potentially facing one of their most challenging years in recent history.

“We have therefore created an easy to access online resource which outlines why growers must think carefully about how they structure their spring fungicide programmes – not only to provide effective protection this year, but also to slow the rate of further sensitivity shifts – and to guide them through the maze of spring cropping options.”

Unaffected by resistance

In contrast to single-site modes of action, folpet – a multi-site fungicide which targets several biochemical pathways within a pathogen – remains unaffected by resistance and continues to provide good levels of protection.

“Adama’s new online resource examines the role that folpet can have in spring programmes and provides some useful advice regarding when and how it should be used to provide maximum crop and partner product protection,” Abbie continues. “The portal also discusses the importance of integrated disease management strategies, and features animated videos and weekly updates to provide timely, in-season advice.”

Additional resources within the crop protection hub include a spring cropping guide which contains all the information growers need to get the best from Adama’s portfolio of fungicides, herbicides and pesticides this spring, and a barley disease guide which brings together the latest information and advice for controlling a range of foliar, stem-base and ear diseases including rhynchosporium, net blotch, ramularia, powdery mildew, brown rust and eyespot in winter and spring crops.

“Collating these resources together into one easily accessible archive gives growers all the information and advice they need to ensure this spring’s unusually diverse range of crops and crop protection strategies are as effective and productive as possible,” she adds.

The new crop protection hub is free to access, with subscribers to ADAMA’s weekly updates able to claim two BASIS points. For more information visit https://www.adama.com/uk/en/home/cereal-disease-hub