How to use fungicide performance data to control crop diseases

Georgia Hassell explains how to use dose-response curves from our fungicide performance project to optimise disease control and safeguard chemistry.

Understanding how each product in a fungicide programme is likely to perform is a critical part of disease management, which is why we publish fungicide dose-response curves for wheat, barley and oilseed rape.

We conduct fungicide performance trials across multiple sites and seasons to ensure they produce reliable, relevant and independent results.

We use the results to create dose-response curves (charts), where each curve represents the average performance of a single fungicide product at various doses against a specific disease.

The curves clearly illustrate the relationship between fungicide products, doses and disease control (and yield impact).

We publish many dose-response charts. Each chart focuses on a specific disease, such as septoria tritici (winter wheat), rhynchosporium (winter barley) and phoma stem canker (winter oilseed rape).

When interpreted correctly, the curves can help identify the best products and doses – helping you strike a balance between disease control and cost efficiency.

Selecting more appropriate products and reducing doses also contribute to the sustainability of farming and the long-term viability of fungicides (as part of resistance management efforts).

• Continually monitor crops and adjust plans: Consider varieties, weather and historic disease pressures. Regularly assess crop disease levels and adjust the fungicide programme, as required
• Identify the target disease(s): Pinpoint the disease(s) you need to control
• Select and interpret the curves: Select the chart for your disease target and look for the point where the curve begins to plateau (straighten), as this is often the optimal dose for effective control
• Compare products: For example, identify products that perform better at lower doses, which could potentially provide a more cost-effective choice
• Integrate into your programme: Use curve insights to design a fungicide programme that combines products with different modes of action to enhance disease control and mitigate the risk of resistance development
• Keep up to date: As we update the fungicide performance data each year (at our Agronomy Conference in December), make sure you use the latest information

We have supported the fungicide performance trial series since 1994, with the next phase of the project getting underway later this year.

We are currently looking for research contractors to conduct the work and have set aside £822,737 for the next two cropping years, with an option to extend the work each year (for up to three additional cropping years).

Fungicide performance for wheat, barley and oilseed rape (research call)*

*Research tenders must be submitted to AHDB by 12 noon on Tuesday 6 May 2025.