Mantra for better yield with barley

An average 29 per cent yield increase across 21 varieties on winter barley has been achieved by using the strobilurin fungicide Mantra at one of the largest replicated trails sited near York.

The fungicide was applied at three-quarter rate on March 28 and May 12 to the winter barley variety trials at the Fisher Seeds and Grain Ltd site at Escrick. Average yield of the treated plots was 6.68 tonnes per hectare, while the untreated plots yielded only 5.17 tonnes per hectare.

In addition to the yield increase, which was due mainly to the effective protection against a severe outbreak of brown rust, there was also a significant improvement in grain quality on the fungicide-treated plots.

"The grain from the untreated plots was shrivelled, small and not so well filled and the bushel weight was poor," says Jim Carswell, trials officer and combinable crops specialist at Fishers, Hutton Cranswick. "And it was noticeable that all the leaves of the untreated crop had died prematurely due to disease pressure by the third week in June, while the leaves on the treated area were still green".

Commenting on the performance in the trails on new strobilurin fungicides such as Mantra, Mr Carswell said the "tremendous" initial results vindicated manufacturers' claims that timely applications at "robust" rates produced yield response that were highly cost-effective.

He was also pleased that the strobilurins had provided a full six weeks of disease protection between the first and second applications, compared with four weeks from conventional fungicides. "This allowed us to protect the crop from an early stage and when the weather was more suitable.

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