Arable ‘Boom and bust’ warning
over septoria resistance • Higher levels of disease reported • Varieties have Cougar parentage • Growers urged to monitor crops
S
cientists are analysing re- ports of higher than expect- ed septoria levels affecting winter wheat varieties with the common parent Cougar. Some winter wheat varieties in trials overseen by the Agricul- ture and Horticulture Develop- ment Board appear to show high- er levels of septoria than would be expected from disease ratings published in the 2021/22 Recom- mended Lists.
AHDB list manager Paul Gosling said: “Our trial inspec- tors have observed that some soft wheat varieties have unexpected-
ly high levels of septoria tritici – certainly more than the current RL disease ratings would other- wise suggest.”
Tremendous variability Mr Gosling said it was not easy to say which varieties were affected until disease data had been val- idated. As a precaution, growers should monitor disease levels on all varieties carefully, he added. Varieties with Cougar as a parent are LG Prince, LG Illu- minate, LG Quasar, KWS Fire- fl ay, Merit, LG Astronomer, RGT Saki and Swallow. All are Group 3
wheats apart from Saki and Swal- low which are Group 4 (soft). “Across trials, there is tremen- dous variability,” said Mr Gosling. “This will need to be statistically analysed before conclusions are reached.”
Cougar was added to the Rec- ommended Lists in 2013, with a septoria tritici disease resistance rating of 7. It stood apart from the majority of varieties that had moderate levels of resistance (rat- ings of 5 or 6).
It showed high levels of resist- ance until 2015, when moderate disease levels were observed. The variety was removed from the 2016/17 list. A later study con- cluded that the resistance loss was limited to Cougar, with oth- er varieties unaffected. Wheat breeder Bill Angus, of
Septoria is the UK’s most damaging foliar disease in winter wheat.
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16 MIDLAND FARMER• AUGUST 2021
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