My farm – Spring barley and wheat protection solutions for a bountiful harvest

The yield of spring barley and spring wheat is primarily determined by healthy seeds and selected seed, sowing at the optimal time, and proper fertilization. The use of plant protection products also has a significant impact on the preservation of the future harvest.

Disease protection of spring wheat

When choosing a variety, you should first pay attention to whether it is susceptible to powdery mildew. Of all leaf diseases, powdery mildew is the earliest to spread in spring wheat. Therefore, when growing a variety susceptible to this disease, fungicide spraying should be planned at the time when the wheat finishes bushing and the stem elongation stage begins (BBCH 29-32).

In addition to powdery mildew, major damage to spring wheat crops is caused by foliar diseases – wheat streak and leaf septoria. These diseases more or less affect all varieties of spring wheat.

The spread of stripe disease and septoria is greatly influenced by meteorological conditions. Diseases spread more in rainy years and less in dry years. In the intensive cultivation of spring wheat, spraying with fungicides against foliar diseases should be planned every year.

Powdery mildew

Septoriosis

What decisions should be made in order to effectively protect spring wheat from diseases and obtain a yield supplement?

The first spraying of the wheat crop with fungicides at the budding stage (BBCH 30-33) protects the plants against early septoria, stripe and powdery mildew infection. At this time, fungicides should be used if diseases start to spread in the crops early.

If a lot of powdery mildew is found in spring wheat, we recommend choosing Balaya Flex Pack fungicide, one package of which is intended for 15–20 ha to spray. If there is no or less powdery mildew, a fungicide will do just fine Priaxor Power Packone package of which is for 10–12.5 ha to spray.

A growth regulator should be added along with fungicides: Medax^® Top 0.4 l/ha + Turbo 0.4 l/ha ar Medax^® Max 0.3 kg/ha.

The second spraying in spring wheat can be done already when they start swimming. Spring wheat is more sensitive to fusarium head blight, so you should choose products that effectively fight not only septoria and wheat streak, but also fusarium head blight. BASF recommends Juventus Packone package of which is for 20–25 ha to spray, or Juventus® 0,7–1,0 l/ha fungicidus.

Protection of spring barley against diseases

A number of harmful germs of barley diseases are spread by seed. These are dusty and hard balls, reticular striatum, ramularia, etc.

Reticular streak in barley

Properly selected stains protect plants well against blight and early reticulate stripe infection, but hardly control ramularia and subsequent airborne diseases: stripe blight, rhynchosporiosis, powdery mildew, small rust infections (this does not apply to stain-fungicide Systematic^®which protects against all diseases for a long time – until the barley blooms).

It is difficult to grow a better barley crop without fungicides. Their use against summer barley leaf diseases gives a tangible increase in yield every year. At the beginning of budding (BBCH 30-32), fungicides help them to preserve the developing lateral shoots and future bells, during the tuber stage (BBCH 41-49) they prolong the persistence of green leaves and improve grain filling, increasing 1,000-grain weight and pod weight.

For the protection of spring barley seeds, in addition to the usual stain, you can choose the first and so far the only fungicide stain on the market Systematic^®. If the barley seeds are processed Systematic^®then the first crop spraying with fungicides can be skipped because Systematic^® protects barley for a long time – even up to BBCH 49 growth stage.

If the barley seed has been stained with other stains of lower systemic efficiency and reticular streak has started to spread early, T1 spraying is necessary, because bells and side shoots are formed at that time, and their amount directly depends on the health of the plant. A plant weakened by diseases rejects both bells and lateral shoots. A fungicide would be an excellent choice for a T1 spray Syrex^TM. 0.5 l/ha.

A second pre-emergence spray of barley (BBCH 41-49) is the main protection against reticulate streak, ramularia, rhynchosporiasis and rust in spring barley crops.

The purpose of this spraying is to preserve healthy plant leaves for as long as possible in order to obtain a higher grain yield, increase grain mass and filling, and extend the greening time of the foliage. In contrast to wheat, the secondary leaves of barley are more important for grain filling than the flag leaves, as the latter are relatively small in most varieties.

We recommend using a fungicide in barley crops house^® 0.5 l/ha (if used for staining Systematic^®) or Syrex^TM. 0.5 l/ha. These are systemic fungicides with a protective and curative effect, intended for the protection of barley.

When spraying barley crops, we recommend using it once per season Syrex^TM 0.75 l/ha.

Barley also needs growth regulators

Together with fungicides house^®or Syrex^TM. it is also appropriate to use growth regulators. During the first spray in the stage of the beginning of the budding (BBCH 30–32) the fungicide should be used in a mixture with growth regulators Medax^® Top + Turbo 0,4–0.5 l/ha ar Medax^® Max 0.2–0.3 kg/ha.

During the main T2 spray, before the first buds appear (BBCH 39-49), we recommend using fungicides in a mixture with Tarpaulin^® 1 l/ha.

To learn more about BASF products, please contact our agronomists. You will find the contacts of agronomists www.agro.basf.lt.

Use plant protection products safely. Read labeling and product information before use.

Order no. 11260