Get to know the disease triangle
Cereal diseases are driven by the disease triangle. And understanding this model is key to disease
management. The three sides of the triangle represent pathogens, crops and the environment.
“You really need to pay attention to this triangle,” says Luc Bourgeois, research and development
manager for Bayer CropScience in Eastern Canada. “Everything is driven by this.”
Pathogen - get to know how specific diseases move around.
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Fusarium, Septoria and powdery mildew spores are always around and easily able to travel,
they just need the correct local environment to assert themselves.
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Tan spot spores are always around but not very mobile, so proper crop rotation is key to
managing this disease.
- Rust spores are not local but are highly mobile and can blow in from the south.
Crop - adhering to good crop rotation practices is the
best way to manage disease pressure.
Environment -
this is the big unpredictable element of the disease triangle. It is important to understand the
environmental conditions that favour cereal diseases.