Advanced disease management and control in cereal crops

Advanced disease management and control in cereal crops CP04 Individuals responsible for making key decisions on the profitability and success of cereal production using the latest information available for crop health, IPM and disease control in cereals, specifically, wheat, barley, oats and rye An advanced course best suited to farmers, agronomists and specialists who are already BASIS qualified or have relevant qualifications in crop protection and plant health. For an entry-level to intermediate course, see Disease management and control in cereal crops (CP13) A one day classroom based course TBC Aoife O'Driscoll, Crop Protection and Agronomy Specialist, Niab

Classroom module 1 (half day):

•    The basis of pathogen virulence, fungicide resistance; how diseases overcome both varietal and fungicide resistance.
•    The implications of climate change and conservation agriculture practices on new disease threats.
•    The merits of, and how best to use modern diagnostic and surveillance tools
•    New fungicide groups, their mode of action and resistance status considering currently available chemistry

Classroom module 2 (half day):

•    Modes of action, efficacy, and integration of biocontrol agents
•    Nutrient-disease interactions (e.g., N, K, Si)
•    Gene editing and synthetic biology approaches (such as RNAi) in crop protection.
•    IPM under regulatory constraints; statutory plant health measures, stewardship options and pesticide legislation

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

•    Have an in-depth understanding of crop-fungal interactions and how this impacts on virulence and fungicide resistance.
•    Understand the implications of new disease threats as a result of changes in climate and farming practices, and how best to mitigate against them
•    Know how best to employ available diagnostic tools to identify factors affecting crop health.
•    Be able to critically appraise different IPM options for their economic and environmental merit.
•    Understand how economic, environmental and social drivers are affecting current and future crop protection practices