Fungicides in Focus: Lessons from 2024’s Weather Challenges

We all know the risks associated with a wet season, and in our minds know its impact on crop health and disease pressures, but management strategies in the field can sometimes be speculative. Due to my background in crop protection and role as Senior Ag Expert at YAGRO, I’ve seen how unpredictable weather can redefine the rules of farming. 

My experience leads me to believe we can move past rough calculations and hunch-feel on how to adjust our budgets, and aim toward more refined and data-backed methods. 

I’ve enjoyed analysing fungicide use as part of our Harvest 24 Review - delving into how farmers tackled challenges and the role fungicides played in maintaining crop health, yields, and gross margins.  

I hope this article helps you develop your approach this spring. 

The Cost of Control 

Fungicide costs per hectare for winter barley and wheat have shown fluctuations over the years, reflecting changing disease pressures and evolving input strategies. 

For winter barley, costs have remained relatively stable, ranging from £66.91/ha in 2019 to a peak of £74.93/ha in 2023, before easing slightly to £66.47/ha in 2024.  

Meanwhile, winter wheat has experienced a more pronounced increase, rising from £81.46/ha in 2020 to a peak of £136.34/ha in 2023, followed by a 12% reduction to £119.50/ha in 2024. 

These trends highlight differences in disease risks and control strategies, as well as farmers financial incentives to hit quality markers.  

Barley growers have maintained consistent fungicide costs despite brown rust and rhynchosporium pressure, while wheat growers faced greater challenges with establishment – caused by weather-driven limitations on T1 applications, and outbreaks of septoria and rusts on susceptible, popular varieties.  

Such diseases require comprehensive fungicide programmes mixing triazoles, strobilurins and SDHIs, resulting in higher costs. 

By analysing data like this, we aim to offer farmers clarity and context for their decision-making, enabling them to benchmark their strategies against wider trends.  

How do you approach fungicide and its relationship to crop health and gross margins? 

Triazoles Under Pressure 

Triazole fungicides, a cornerstone of disease management, came under increased scrutiny in 2024.  

Wet weather conditions created the perfect environment for pathogens, leading to a doubling of triazole applications at T2 and T3 compared to previous years, in an attempt to provide more curative control where preventative measures had been less successful. 

However, growing disease resistance and limited authorisation emphasise the need for strategic use.  

Farmers adopting integrated pest management strategies, such as rotating fungicide modes of action, optimising nutrition or planting resistant crop varieties, found they could sustain the effectiveness of these chemistries while protecting yields. 

The inclusion of multisite fungicides in treatments is also key to safeguarding the longevity and efficacy of major fungicide groups, as alternative chemical control options dwindle. 

Adapting to Weather Extremes 

The wet conditions of the 2024 season tested even the most robust fungicide strategies. However, growers who adjusted their programmes to the season’s unique challenges (such as modifying product choices and application timings based on real-time data) stood a greater chance of achieving results.  
 
Adaptive strategies and flexible approaches are going to be necessary to mitigate disease pressure and its associated risks whilst managing costs. 

Your Farm, Your Strategy 

Have you considered how your fungicide strategy could adapt to the unique conditions of your fields?  

The 2024 harvest shows that investing in resistant varieties and well-timed programmes can significantly improve cost efficiency and disease control. 

But most of all, the lessons from this challenging season highlight the importance of knowing your numbers and making informed decisions. By leveraging accurate data and maximising the knowledge you have, you unlock opportunities and improve your farm’s resilience. 

The full Harvest 24 Review is packed with actionable insights designed to help farmers like you optimise operations and navigate challenges. Download your free copy today and discover what your farm’s data could reveal.  

Alternatively, book a free demo of our tools with my colleague James (top right of your screen) who can share exactly what accurate analysis can bring to your individual farm.