18th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy

The impact of different fungicide product combinations on malting barley, yield, quality, and profitability in the Western Cape of South Africa

Not scheduled

15m

Les Dortoirs (1st floor) (The Couvent des Jacobins)

Poster Synergies between researchers, society and farmers Poster session #2

Speaker

Mr Manfred Venter (Student)

Description

Effective foliar disease management in barley (Hordeum vulgare) is crucial for ensuring high crop yields and meeting quality standards demanded by maltsters. However, the extensive use of fungicides in cereal crop production, particularly in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, raises concerns regarding its impact on yield, quality, and potential development of resistance. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the impact of fungicide treatments on the agronomic performance of malting barley varieties in the region.
The increasing demand for malting barley, particularly driven by major buyers like Anheuser-Busch InBev, has led to a rapid expansion of barley hectares planted in the Western Cape Province. However, this growth has prompted growers to compromise on good crop rotation strategies, favoring consecutive barley planting which undermines Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. This, coupled with prevalent no-tillage practices, contributes to higher disease pressure during the growing season.
The study encompasses four main parts:
Barley Passport Analysis: Analysis of the barley passport data spanning four years (2019–2022) will provide insights into growers' fungicide usage patterns and inform field trial actions.

Field Trial: A field trial will assess the responses of biomass yield, seed yield, and quality to various fungicide treatment programs across four malting barley varieties in South Africa.

Fungicide Resistance Evaluation: This part aims to measure and quantify fungicide resistance, particularly focusing on the Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor (SDHI) group of fungicides registered on barley varieties.

Economic Evaluation: The economic value of each fungicide treatment program from the field trial will be determined, identifying the most financially viable options for growers across different locations and barley varieties.

The findings of this study will provide crucial insights into optimizing disease management strategies, preserving crop yields and quality, and mitigating the risk of fungicide resistance in the malting barley industry of the Western Cape Province. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance sustainability and profitability for barley growers while meeting the stringent demands of the maltsters.