Key Points
- In turf ryegrass, yield was significantly increased by most fungicde treatments used to control stem rust
- The omission of an early spray, GS32, and using a reactive spray programme after disease was present, produced significantly lower yields than a full spray programme from GS32
- Using just a strobilurin (Amistar) from GS49 onwards did not increase yield as well as some programmes which utilised triazole and strobilurin chemistry
- The best economic benefit for disease control in turf ryegrass was from two triazole sprays followed by mixtures of triazole and strobilurin
- In the forage ryegrass, yield responses to fungicides were not great and only programmes which used triazoles plus strobilurins significantly increased yield.
- In this season, with low disease pressure, a one or two spray programme of triazole plus strobilurin gave the best economic benefits
- The actual product used was not as important as having a planned fungicide programme