Adult plant resistance is a useful trait to consider in variety selection, especially for rust resistance. Understanding how it works can make fungicide application decisions easier.

• Adult plant resistance (APR) to cereal fungal diseases provides protection in a crop’s post-seedling stages (typically between tillering and booting, GS20-GS49).
• Seedling resistance, by comparison, is effective at all growth stages.
• APR can complement a fungicide strategy by protecting, from rust, those parts of the plant most responsible for yield.
• When selecting a variety, ensure that varieties rated MRMS (the minimum disease resistance standard) or better are chosen. In high-risk regions, varieties rated MR or better are recommended.
• Where more susceptible varieties are used, ensure a suitable fungicide strategy is in place and with the right chemicals available at short notice.
• Fungicides are better at protecting than curing. Fungicide applications on badly infected crops provide poorer control and do not restore lost green leaf area.

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• 533.15 kbAdult Plant Resistance Fact SheetAdult plant resistance is a useful trait to consider in variety selection, and understanding how it works can make fungicide application decisions easier.