T2 – the critical wheat protection timing

A year is a long time in arable farming, but we seem to be light years away from where we were this time last year when deluge after deluge not only made it difficult to apply fungicides on time but also caused septoria infections to spread rapidly to each new leaf as they emerged.

In contrast, this spring has been remarkably dry, with fungicides mostly being applied on time and in favourable conditions.

But, even though conditions have been dry, this doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of septoria sitting in the bottom of wheat crops, waiting for a splash of rain to disperse disease spores onto emerging leaves.

Applying a robust fungicide spray at T2 will therefore be vital to ensuring septoria is kept in check and to keep the top two leaves as clean as possible for as long as possible.

Applying a robust fungicide spray at T2 will help to keep septoria in check and keep the top two leaves as clean as possible for as long as possible. © ADAMA Agricultural Solutions UK Ltd

Robust protection

T2 is the timing when it comes to protecting wheat against septoria.

A robust fungicide application at this timing will help to keep the crop’s upper canopy greener for longer, contributing to improved yields and enhanced crop quality.

But what exactly is a ‘robust’ T2 treatment?

Because they only work against one biochemical pathway within their target pathogen, single site chemistries such as azoles, SDHIs and Qil fungicides are more prone to sensitivity shifts or disease mutations which make septoria populations resistant and therefore harder to control. 

To provide effective protection against septoria, and to minimise the risk of diseases becoming resistant to any individual active ingredient, a robust T2 treatment should therefore contain a combination of modes of action including curative single-site active ingredients and a protectant multi-site active.

T2 is the timing when it comes to protecting wheat against septoria, with a robust fungicide spray at this stage critical to ensuring disease levels are kept in check and to keep the top two leaves, which contribute approximately 65% of final yield, as clean as possible for as long as possible. – Andy Bailey, Fungicides Technical Specialist, ADAMA UK.

In this scenario, the azole and SDHI/Qil elements will provide curative activity to control any existing infections, while the folpet element will provide improved persistence by protecting emerging leaves so that they remain cleaner and greener for longer.

The addition of folpet also helps to reduce the risk of further erosion in efficacy of the single site actives.

Trials have shown that the inclusion of ARIZONA (500 g/l folpet) at T2 provides an additional, cost-effective layer of protection against septoria. © ADAMA Agricultural Solutions UK Ltd

ARIZONA – protection that pays off

Including ARIZONA (500g/l folpet) in the T2 tank mix provides an additional, cost-effective layer of protection in its own right, but it also provides valuable protection of single site actives by reducing their susceptibility to resistance.

Using ARIZONA in partnership with single site actives can also help to enhance their efficacy, as shown in the graphs below. 

Trials have indicated that including ARIZONA with Revystar at T2 delivers at 0.33/ha yield advantage.

Including ARIZONA in T2 treatments with Univoq gives an average yield benefit of 0.22t/ha.

Rust protection

ARIZONA also provides a useful reduction of yellow and brown rusts, with trials indicating that its inclusion at T2 improves harvested yield by an average of 0.9t/ha where yellow rust is the main disease pressure.

T2 top tips

To achieve the very best levels of disease control in wheat, ARIZONA should be used at T1 and T2. However, even if it wasn’t included at T1, it still provides a clear advantage when introduced at the T2 timing.

• Use a balanced mixture of compatible fungicide modes of action including single site actives (azole, SDHI, Qil) AND a multi-site (folpet).
• Include ARIZONA (500g/L folpet) to improve septoria control and reduce the resistance risk for single site active ingredients
• ARIZONA should be included at 1.0-1.5 l/ha: the optimum dose rate will depend on the prevailing risk factors (varietal disease resistance rating, drilling date, time gap since the T1 treatment was applied, underlying disease pressure). In most scenarios 1.0 l/ha of ARIZONA in mixture with partner products will suffice, but in higher risk cases the rate should be increased to 1.5 l/ha
• ARIZONA does not interfere with the uptake of partner products, therefore enabling single site actives to provide curative control of any latent or active septoria infections.

ARIZONA pays for itself by enhancing septoria control, reducing yellow and brown rust pressure, and, ultimately, contributing to improved crop yields. © ADAMA Agricultural Solutions UK Ltd

ARIZONA… protection that pays for itself

ARIZONA^® (folpet 500 g/l) is a class-leading multi-site fungicide that provides valuable protection against key diseases in wheat and barley, and which delivers a reliable return on investment.

ARIZONA also safeguards the efficacy of partner products as part of an anti-resistance strategy.

• Enhances septoria control in wheat
• Provides a useful reduction of yellow and brown rusts.
• Offers intrinsic activity against mildew.
• Extends green leaf area duration resulting in higher yields.
• Provides a 4/1 return on investment: for every £1 spent, ARIZONA provides a £4 return.
• The only fungicide which has been proven to extend the effective lifetime of at-risk fungicides by delaying the development of resistance.

More information

To find out more about how ARIZONA could boost your wheat yield, contact your Regional Agronomy Manager by calling the ADAMA technical helpline on 01635 876 622 or via email at ukenquiries@adama.com