Humid and wet weather in recent days has created the perfect conditions for disease to strike in wheat crops across the UK.

Speaking to Farmers Weekly at this year’s Cereals site near Duxford, Cambridgeshire, Adas plant pathologist Tim Boor said septoria was ever present lower down in crops, but warns that both yellow and brown rust levels are now building as temperatures climb.

“This has been a bad rust year. We have had mild weather since Christmas and this spring it has not been terribly hot, so that’s been favouring yellow rust. Now as we get into June and it’s warmer again, this favours brown rust.”

See also: More coverage of the 2016 Cereals event

Meanwhile, Velcourt technical director Keith Norman said this season is proving to be very variable in terms of septoria disease levels.

Mr Norman has been heading up Velcourt research looking at achieving more effective early detection of septoria using drones.

“We need to get cleverer at assessing the risks of how much septoria is going to be developing,” he explain.

Watch the video below for the full interviews with Mr Boor and Mr Norman at the Cereals site.

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