Spring Barley Growth Stage Update – Late June 2020

The table below shows the growth and disease observations in SRUC’s monitored crops.  This data is generated in commercial crops in your area so is indicative of the disease pressure and growth stages on farms at the moment.

Crops have leapt on with the rain and moisture but are still looking relatively disease-free. The main risk of ramularia comes after flowering, but the later it appears the better. Without chlorothalonil the ramularia risk is harder to manage but dry conditions during stem extension will have reduced to some extent the levels of ramularia that have reached the upper leaves. The risk now will depend on crop stress and how badly that triggers symptoms. The rain may actually be helpful now, but bursts of sunshine will add to crop stress. Managing diseases in addition to ramularia remains important as these are additional stress burdens to the crop.