How to steady BYDV symptoms in cereals – Farmers Guardian
Reports from the east of England suggest symptoms of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) are widespread with moderate infestations found in cereal crops ...
James Short, agronomist and regional director at Hutchinsons has found BYDV in barley, winter wheat and winter oats.
Fields are of higher risk of infection depending on the field location – sheltered and warmer fields can increase risk, as does previous crop and drilling dates, he says.
“Crops drilled in mid to late September are at a very high risk with some fields so badly affected with BYDV, yields could be reduced by up to 50 per cent,” says Mr Short.
Mild weather
Last autumn provided the perfect BYDV transition period due to the mild weather and aphid activity increasing.
Mr Short says growers need to be aware of the risks attached to their individual fields with few options for growers to control the infection once symptoms are seen.
“It is now about giving the crop extra nutrition such as fertiliser or trace elements to help alleviate the symptoms, but the damage has already been done,” he says.
Email Us