Fungicide trials at Stoughton have again illustrated the value of T0 fungicides, Mark Palmer, Agrovista‘s north and west technical manager says.

The site has suffered from high septoria and eyespot pressure. “This first wheat had around 80% infection with eyespot in untreated plots it might be the sting in the tail for growers this season.”

In the trial a Tracker (boscalid + epoxiconazole)/Opus (epoxiconazole) programme at T1 and T2 had also given relatively poor septoria control in Robigus, he says. “But you can really see the benefit of a T0 of Tracker (0.5 litres/ha). On a large estate like this the T0 builds in timing flexibility, and also contributes to eyespot and septoria control.”

The value of a T0 has been clearly shown in previous years trials fine-tuning fungicide programmes on key varieties. “In 2006, a septoria year, the T0 added 0.46t/ha to a base programme of Proline + Caddy + chlorothalonil followed by Opus at flag leaf, while in 2007, a rust year, it added 0.33t/ha.”

In the same trials across all varieties a strobilurin at T2 added a further 0.32t/ha in 2006 and 0.44t/ha in 2007 on average, Mr Palmer says.

“This year we’re also looking at the effect of adding a second strobilurin at T1.”

The varieties in this year’s trials were Robigus, Alchemy, Oakley, Humber, Viscount and Hebrides, with the programme again building up inputs including a T0 and the strobilurins at T2 or both T1 and T2, he says. “It allows us to fine-tune programmes.”