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Spring Barley Update – early July 2020

20 July 2020

The monitored commercial crop data for SRUC’s monitored crops during early July are shown in the table below. 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.

Spring barleyAverageMaximumMinimum
Crop Growth Stage748559
Mildew110
Net Blotch1.520
Ramularia/Abiotic Spotting4.580
Rhynchosporium1.850

Diseases

Crops are mostly green and look well. Disease levels are low and there are very few reports of ramularia – so far. Sprays are all applied and there is nothing to do but wait and see how the next few weeks fare. Spring barley does not respond well to ear sprays so even if the summer keeps the wet weather going and ear diseases start to develop, there is no advantage to applying ear sprays.

Pests

The occasional crop has small patches of BYDV. Nothing can be done about BYDV now but keep a watch for aphids up to GS73. If two-thirds of heads have aphid colonies present consider an aphicide treatment to prevent feeding damage occurring but bear in mind that if you have grain aphids present they may be resistant to the pyrethroid aphicides that are the only choice available. Consequently, only apply an aphicide if this threshold has been exceeded.

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