Grain growers will have the opportunity to improve their knowledge of fungicide resistance issues over coming weeks, thanks to a series of webinars being delivered by the Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN).

Fungicide resistance is a serious and increasingly important issue in the Australian grains industry. AFREN brings together leading advisers, researchers and pathologists to raise awareness of the problem.

The AFREN webinars will help growers understand how to prevent and manage resistance to fungicides in grain growing regions across Australia.

Supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), each webinar will feature regional plant pathologists and fungicide resistance experts from across the country. They will provide growers with the latest independent, best-practice advice.

AFREN extension coordinator Kylie Ireland, from the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) at Curtin University, says the project aims to equip growers with the knowledge and understanding they need to minimise the emergence and spread of fungicide resistance in their cropping systems.

“Agronomic practices that help reduce disease pressure and fungicide requirements, along with the responsible use of available chemistries, can reduce the risk of resistance developing,” Dr Ireland says.

Growers are encouraged to join the webinars live to interact with the experts and extract the most value from each session. For those who cannot join the live events, recordings will be made available to view on the GRDC’s YouTube channel.

Webinar details:

• Thursday, July 2, at 2pm ACST (2.30pm AEST): Fungicide resistance in South Australia – Tara Garrard and Hugh Wallwork, South Australian Research and Development Institute.
• Friday, July 10, at 2pm AEST: Fungicide resistance in canola – Steve Marcroft, Marcroft Grains Pathology and Angela van de Wouw, University of Melbourne.
• Friday, July 24, at 2pm AEST: Fungicide resistance in New South Wales and Queensland – Levente Kiss, University of Southern Queensland, Steven Simpfendorfer, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Lisle Snyman Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland.

Contact details

For interviews

Dr Kylie Ireland, CCDM
08 9266 3541, 0419 649 610
kylie.ireland@curtin.edu.au

Contact

GRDC Adelaide office
(08) 8198 8400
media@grdc.com.au