German wheat resists septoria
German wheat resists septoria
MARKED differences in septoria levels in a Cheshire winter wheat trial highlight the scope for German-bred Petrus to be used as a lower input variety, says distributor Spunhill Farm Sales.
Consort, Tanker and Soissons all had high levels of septoria on leaf three after a single flag leaf treatment of full rate Ibex (epoxiconazole + pyraclostrobin) in the sprayer bout-width plots. But Petrus demonstrated its resistance well, notes the firms Bryn Thomas.
Indeed, ahead of harvest results, there seems to have been little added benefit to the variety from the more robust standard three-spray farm programme or the high input "belt and braces" approach, he says.
Petrus was the only variety affected by mildew. But 0.1 litres/ha of Fortress (quinoxyfen) at T1 in the farm programme provided good control.
Although Petrus, a potential bread-maker, is not on the Recommended List, there is plenty of interest in it in the area, says Mr Thomas. "It could be useful for the slightly less intensive farms growing their own feed or producing whole crop where they dont want to spray two or three times with fungicide."
It could also find a slot as a low input organic bread-maker, he believes. In NIAB organic trials last year it outyielded Malacca, but not Hereward. *
Petrus has shown useful septoria resistance in trials, says Bryn Thomas of Spunhill Farm Services.