Foliar fungicide activity and seed treatment options for wheat

These tables indicate how key active ingredients may perform against various wheat pathogens. Use this information, alongside our fungicide performance results and resistance management guidance, to select fungicides that match the primary disease risk(s) in wheat.

What these tables show

  • Table 1 indicates potential control levels for key active ingredients against several diseases, as tested by AHDB in fungicide performance trials and other research projects
  • It also includes label claims of activity for active ingredients not tested by AHDB
  • Actual control will depend on dose and timing, as well as the primary disease risk (which is mainly influenced by the variety, sowing date, location and weather)
  • Table 2 shows label recommendations for seed treatments

Notes

Any control level indicated on Table 1 does not guarantee label approval. Additionally, other active ingredients may be registered for the control of these diseases. Always check plant protection product labels before use.

Product labels provide information on efficacy claims, which may include graduated control levels based on disease observations in trials. Further information is available in the HSE efficacy guidelines: 405 and 407, which cover data requirements for brassicas (including oilseed rape) and cereals (and maize), respectively.

Products in mixtures may contain different loadings and formulations, which may impact control.

Table key

5 = Highest control level

1 = Lowest control level

- = Insufficient data

[] based on limited or old data

L = Label claim of activity for products not tested by AHDB

# Performance against ear blight caused by Fusarium culmorum or Fusarium graminearum (performance against Microdochium species may differ)

X = Seed treatment label recommendation (check product label for information on whether control is full or partial)

These lists show the active ingredients featured in the tables, along with their mode of action group and FRAC group code.

  • Folpet, multi-site (phthalimide), M04
  • Sulphur, multi-site, M02
  • Prochloraz (poraz), DMI (imidazole), 3
  • Bromuconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Mefentrifluconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Metconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Prothioconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Tebuconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Benzovindiflupyr, SDHI, 7
  • Bixafen, SDHI, 7
  • Fluopyram, SDHI, 7
  • Fluxapyroxad, SDHI, 7
  • Isoflucypram, SDHI, 7
  • Pydiflumetofen, SDHI, 7
  • Azoxystrobin, QoI (strobilurin), 11
  • Fluoxastrobin, QoI (strobilurin), 11
  • Pyraclostrobin, QoI (strobilurin), 11
  • Trifloxystrobin, QoI (strobilurin), 11
  • Fenpicoxamid, QiI, 21

Table 2 only (seed treatments)

  • Difenoconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Ipconazole, DMI (triazole), 3
  • Imazalil, DMI (imidazole), 3
  • Sedaxane, SDHI, 7
  • Fludioxonil, phenyl-pyrroles (PPs), 12
  • Silthiofam, thiophene-carboxamide, 38

Table 1. Fungicide activity rating for major wheat diseases

Reviewed: April 2026.

Table 1a. SDHI and SDHI mixtures (SDHIs shown first)

Active ingredient Eyespot Mildew Septoria tritici Yellow rust Brown rust Ear blight#
Benzovindiflupyr* - - 2 4 [2] -
Fluxapyroxad* - L 2 3 4 -
Isoflucypram* - - 4 3 4 -
Pydiflumetofen* - L 5 - [2] [4]
Benzovindiflupyr + prothioconazole - - [3] 5 3 4
Bixafen + fluopyram + prothioconazole L L 4 4 [4] 4
Bixafen + prothioconazole L L [3] 4 [4] 4
Fluopyram + isoflucypram + prothioconazole L L [5] [5] [5] -
Fluxapyroxad + metconazole L L [3] 4 5 3
Fluxapyroxad + mefentrifluconazole - L 4 4 5 -
Fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin - L [2] 4 5 -
Isoflucypram + prothioconazole L L 4 [5] [5]  -

*Significant resistance risk. Always use SDHI fungicides in mixture with at least one fungicide from an alternative mode of action group that has efficacy against the target pathogen(s). Control data for isoflucypram + fenpicoxamid is shown in the QiI section.

Table 1b. DMI/azoles**

Active ingredient Eyespot Mildew Septoria tritici Yellow rust Brown rust Ear blight#
Metconazole - L [2] [4] 4 3
Prothioconazole L L 2 4 2 3
Mefentrifluconazole - L 4 3 4 2
Tebuconazole - L [1] 4 4 3
Bromuconazole + tebuconazole - L L - L [4]
Prochloraz (poraz) L L 1 [1] [1] -

**Prochloraz (poraz) is from the imidazole chemical group, all other DMIs cited are from the triazole chemical group (both chemical groups are from FRAC Group code 3). Key products may have significant differences between performance in protectant and eradicant situations, scores shown are for protectant situations.

Table 1c. QoI (strobilurin) and Qol mixtures (Qol shown first)

Active ingredient Eyespot Mildew Septoria tritici Yellow rust Brown rust Ear blight#
Azoxystrobin - - 1 4 4 -
Pyraclostrobin - - 1 4 5 -
Trifloxystrobin - - [1] [2] [2] -
Fluoxastrobin + prothioconazole L L 2 4 [4] 3

Table 1d. QiI and QiI mixtures (QiI shown first)

Active ingredient Eyespot Mildew Septoria tritici Yellow rust Brown rust Ear blight#
Fenpicoxamid - - 5 2 3 -
Fenpicoxamid + prothioconazole - L 5 4 4 4
Fenpicoxamid + isoflucypram - - 5 4 5 -

Table 1e. Others (multi-sites)

Active ingredient Eyespot Mildew Septoria tritici Yellow rust Brown rust Ear blight#
Folpet - - 2 [1] [1] -
Sulphur - L [2] - - -

Table 2. Wheat seed treatment options

Reviewed: March 2024.

Active ingredients (product, company) Crop Microdochium Seedling blight* Fusarium seedling blights* Septoria seedling blight* Loose smut* Bunt  Take-all Blue mould   Wireworm Wheat bulb fly 
Fludioxonil, tebuconazole (Fountain, Certis) Winter  X X   X X  -  -
Fludioxonil (Beret Gold, Syngenta) Winter/spring X X X  - X
Fludioxonil (Prepper, Certis) Winter/spring X X X X
Difenconazole, fludioxonil (Celest Extra, Syngenta) Winter X X X X
Difenconazole, fludioxonil, tebuconazole (Celest Trio, Syngenta) Winter X X X X
Difenconazole, fludioxonil (Difend Extra, Certis) Winter X X  -  - X
Silthiofam (Latitude, Certis) Winter/spring  -  -  -   X
Ipconazole (Rancona 15ME, Arysta) Winter/spring X X X
Ipconazole, imazalil (Rancona i-MIX, Arysta) Winter/spring X X X
Prothioconazole, tebuconazole (Redigo Pro, Bayer) Winter/spring X X X X X
Sedaxane, fludioxonil (Vibrance Duo, Syngenta) Winter X X X X X
Cypermethrin (Signal, Arysta) Winter/spring  -  -  - X X

*Seedborne disease. Septoria nodorum covers septoria seedling blight, as well as leaf blotch and glume blotch (caused by Parastagonospora nodorum).

No label recommendations for the control of yellow rust, septoria tritici, brown rust, aphids/BYDV or slugs.

Disposal and spills of treated seed

Treated-seed spills are most often associated with filling, (poor) calibration and moving the seed drill. To minimise the risk to wildlife and the environment, always:

  • Minimise spill risks
  • Apply via qualified operators
  • Use calibrated equipment
  • Follow product labels
  • Fill drills from as low a height as possible
  • Deal with spills immediately (ideally, use a spill kit)
  • Ensure undrilled seed is disposed of properly
  • Avoid retaining treated seed after drilling
  • If required, store it in dry conditions away from temperature extremes (if this is done, the germination should be sufficient for the following year)

Note: Unrequired treated seed can be sown to a ‘sacrificial’ area and subsequently removed by cultivation or spraying. If this is not appropriate, dispose of treated seed via a licenced waste contractor.

Resistance management

When planning fungicide programmes, it is essential to account for resistance management. Mixtures and alternations of fungicides, with different modes of action, are often most effective and reduce resistance risks.

The Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG-UK)

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