Key Points
- Stem rust(Puccinia graminis)of ryegrass was present and increased in the trial area and all fungicide treatments improved yield over the untreated plots.
- Increasing rates of fungicides gave corresponding increases in green leaf area retention and seed yields with decreases in the level of disease.
- Yields were increased by up to 94% by fungicides in the irrigated and 73% in the dryland plots. All treatments gave positive margins over fungicide costs that ranged from $51 in the dryland to around $1766 in the irrigated treatments.
- Proline offers an exciting disease control option in perennial ryegrass.