Cereals 2019: Early signs of loose smut fungicide resistance in barley.

Testing has revealed early signs that the fungus that causes loose smut in barley may be becoming less sensitive to azole seed dressings. However, last spring there was an increased occurrence of the seed-borne disease in some fields that were drilled with treated seed, suggesting issues with seed treatment application or a possible resistance problem. The disease initially infects seed via airborne spores and seed testing can tell farmers if their seed crop is at risk. [Extracted from the article]