Two of the most popular varieties of winter and spring oats, Husky and Barra, are highly responsive to fungicides.
Mildew is an ongoing threat and must be controlled with a programmed approach. Crown rust can be very damaging with yield losses of up to 40% under high disease pressure. In addition, the leaf canopy of oats can also be very susceptible to various stresses.
ELATUS™ Era
To improve yield and quality, it is essential to use a fungicide that not only controls disease but is kind to the crop and prolongs the useful life of leaves. A healthy canopy will also reduce potential brackling problems in the event of a delayed harvest.
ELATUS™ Era from Syngenta combines the company’s latest foliar SDHI fungicide SOLATENOL™ and the triazole prothioconazole, which together deliver a full range of disease control, green leaf protection and brackling reduction in oats.
Crown rust
Crown rust is the most widespread and damaging disease of oats.
Billy Cotter of Syngenta said: “In our trials over the past couple of years we have witnessed big yield responses as a result of controlling crown rust.
“Growers were quite disappointed with the level of rust control achievable with the previous chemistry used. However that has all changed since the introduction of ELATUS™ Era last year.”
Variety: Husky. Location: Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. Source: Crop Plot Trials. Applications T1 on 12/04/17 at GS32 – Tocata (1.0L/ha), Talius (0.2L/ha); application T2 on 20/05/17 at GS50-56
Green leaf protection
The leaf canopy of the oats crop is very vibrant compared to other cereal crops. However, this canopy is highly susceptible to environmental stresses and must be treated with extra care.
“Following the use of ELATUS™ Era, we have seen very useful green leaf preservation, which crucially has not delayed harvest. The crop senesces naturally as opposed to premature leaf senescence where less effective fungicides are used,” Billy said.
Teagasc Husky trials 2016
Brackling
Delayed harvest on oats will also lead to brackling and associated harvesting difficulties. A combination of nutrition, growth regulation and fungicides are required to minimise brackling. ELATUS™ Era has shown strong brackling reducing properties in trials.
Brackling Reduction 2017 Trial
Higher yields
Billy added: “Across all six winter and spring oats trials we have carried out in 2016 and 2017, ELATUS™ Era delivered on average almost 2t/ha more than the untreated crop and 0.75t/ha more than the previous standard T2 fungicide.
“This exceptional yield performance is seen in low and high disease situations, making ELATUS™ Era an essential tool of growing oats in Ireland,” he said.
Varieties: Husky; and Barra. Location: Cork; Kilkenny; and Carlow. Source: Crop Plot Trials, Crop Research Ltd, Teagasc T2 comparison. T1 standard across both treatments.
Getting the best results
To achieve results, Syngenta recommends ELATUS™ Era at panicle emergence. Trials show that 0.8 L/ha is the optimum rate. For more information visit the Syngenta Ireland website
