OILSEED RAPE growers should be aware of a potentially higher Sclerotinia risk this season, experts have warned.

Early signs suggest levels are slightly higher than last year, which was a high Sclerotinia year, said Peter Gladders from ADAS.

“With slightly more Sclerotia germination and moist soils, which are conducive to attack, the early signs are very interesting,” he noted.

With this in mind, ADAS and BASF have re-launched the online Sclerotinia monitoring service (www.agricentre.co.uk) to track sclerotia germination, assess risk and recommend action.

Growers should pay particular attention to weather conditions at the start of flowering, Dr Gladders said. A moist soil surface favours aerial spore release and rain also affects petal fall and stick – another way of spreading innoculum.

“Light rain provides the best conditions for petal sticking and it is important that a protectant fungicide is applied before petal stick occurs.”

BASF‘s Diane Heath recommended growers use Filan (boscalid) at 0.5kg/ha at early to full flowering before symptoms are visible, to protect crops.