Winter wheat growth across central England is varied this spring because of colder conditions, making T1 fungicide sprays tricky to time accurately.

Luke Wheeler, an independent agronomist with Midlands-based group Indigro, says crop disease levels are high in his area of Leicestershire, with septoria the biggest concern.

He warns that 2016 is not the season to be cutting back on fungicide costs when growers come to apply T1 fungicides in the next week or so.

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He advocates using a azole plus an SDHI at this year because of the septoria threat which lurks in the bottom of crops.

“I haven’t had a single grower where I’ve made a recommendation to use just an azole and chlorothalonil at T1. We need to use an SDHI because of the disease pressure in the bottom of the crop.

“SDHIs are the only curative treatment we have got so this really isn’t the year to be cutting back on fungicides at T1 timing.

Mr Wheeler says recent cold weather in the region is responsible for a big variation in wheat growth, with earlier crops likely to see a T1 spray later this week.