Rust and Mildew Issues Cropping Up in Winter Oats
Teagasc has confirmed that winter oats are at around growth stage (GS) 32 and, for the most part, crops are looking well.
Courtesy of his contribution to the latest edition of the Tillage Edge podcast, Cork-based Ciaran Collins, Teagasc crops specialist, indicated that some earlier-sown crops are approaching flag leaf.
“Trial work carried out at Oakpark would have confirmed that GS32 is the ideal time at which to apply a growth regulator on oat crops,” he said.
“This also fits in well with disease-control timing. A lot of crops might have been sprayed for mildew or crown rust earlier on.
“So, GS32 also represents an ideal timing opportunity, when it comes to putting a main fungicide application on oats.”
According to Collins, rust and mildew-related issues are cropping up in winter-oat crops around the country at the present time.
“Fungicide choice must be tailored to the diseases found in specific crops. We are seeing a little more rust, as opposed to mildew in winter oats.”
Rust
Latest Teagasc surveys indicate that rust is a problem in oat crops. Traditionally, the disease would have been more associated with crops grown in southern counties.
There is also an odd bit of frost damage being reported at the present time in oat crops around the country. “I haven’t actually seen examples of this. But I am assuming it has been an issue with more advanced crops,” said Collins
“This might well have happened if the ear was well up the stem during that period of a few days when parts of the country experienced heavy enough frost at night.”
Frost damage shows up as a blackening of the parts of the plant exposed to it.
“To get a sense of what is happening, growers should walk fields and dissect out individual plants,” he said. “Black heads will obviously indicate that frost has been an issue. But the good news is that entire fields have not been affected by the recent frosts. Rather it has been a case of individual plants only being impacted.”
