Pathogens: Mainly Fusarium spp and Microdochium nivale occur later in the crops development.Affected crops: Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye, Triticale.Source of infection: Infected seed is most important source but also it survives on crop debris.Symptoms:Plant loss.Stem based browning.Weaker tillers.Establishment loss is the most important phase of M.nivale.Later in their life cycle they can cause foot rots and ear blights and can significantly reduce yield. Importance: The seed-borne phase of the disease is potentially very damaging.Watch outs: Later drillings especially in poor seedbeds are most vulnerable. Most Fusarium spp. produce at least one mycotoxin.

Pathogens: Claciceps purpurea.Affected crops: All cereals: Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye and Triticale (also a wide range of grasses inc. Black-grass).Source of infection:Infection is spread by drilling the Ergots within the contaminated seed (1 of 2 diseases covered by the UK Seed Certification Scheme for Cereals).Spread can occur from the overwintering spores from previous seasons.Symptoms:The fungus only attacks the ear at flowering, replacing the grain in a few spikelets by a hard, purple-black sclerotium, known as an Ergot. Ergots can be very large, up to 2 cm in length, and are very obvious in the standing crop and in contaminated grain samples. Importance:The disease has very little direct effect on yield but the Ergots contain large amounts of toxic alkaloids.If grain contaminated with Ergots is fed to stock or used to make flour then there are real risks to animal and human health.Contaminated grain may be rejected.Watch outs: Cool, wet conditions during flowering (prolonged flowering period).

Pathogens: Ustilago spp (U. nuda f sp tritici, U. nuda f sp hordei and U. Avenae.Affected crops: Wheat, Barley and Oats.Source of infection: Fungus develops within plant as it develops and expressed in the ear.Symptoms:At ear emergence grain is usually completely replaced by a mass of black fungal spores.Partly affected ears are sometimes seen.The spores are released as soon as the ear emerges, leaving only the bare remains of the ear rachis. Importance: Seed certification and resistant varieties have minimised seed-borne infection.Watch outs:Cool, moist conditions during flowering.Infected neighbouring crops.Seed repeatedly sown without treatment.

Pathogens: Tilletia triticiAffected crops: WheatSource of infection: Infection can occur from either infected seed or soil.Symptoms:No symptoms can be observed prior to ear emergence.In infected ears the grain is replaced by seed-like 'bunt balls' each containing millions of greasy, black foul smelling spores.The whole field may smell of rotting fish.In wet weather conditions the ears may appear to be covered in a black ink-like substance as the spores are released and run out of the protective glumes onto the ear and stem. Importance: The disease is rare in the UK as the vast majority of seed is treated with a fungicidal seed treatment. However, the disease is potentially very damaging and can lead to complete crop loss due to grain being unsaleable because of discolouring and smell.Watch outs:Each bunt ball contains millions of spores the capacity for contamination of healthy grain in the same field is enormous!Continuous saving and resowing of untreated seed.Contamination of machinery and stores.Dry spores can survive years.

Seedcare | Syngenta

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Seed & Soil-Borne Disease

Seed treatments can address the increasing challenges faced around crop establishment. Weather extremes and seasonal changes can impact seed and soil-borne disease pressure, the number of plants established and the ability for a crop to get the best start.

The use of a fungicidal seed dressing is critical to controlling a lot of common seed and soil-borne diseases. There are also diseases that are routinely controlled by dressings that can be forgotten about until particular conditions increase their presence in crops.

Click below for technical disease information:

Seedling Blight

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Pathogens: Mainly Fusarium spp and Microdochium nivale occur later in the crops development.

Affected crops: Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye, Triticale.

Source of infection: Infected seed is most important source but also it survives on crop debris.

Symptoms:

Plant loss.
Stem based browning.
Weaker tillers.
Establishment loss is the most important phase of M.nivale.
Later in their life cycle they can cause foot rots and ear blights and can significantly reduce yield.

Importance: The seed-borne phase of the disease is potentially very damaging.

Watch outs: Later drillings especially in poor seedbeds are most vulnerable. Most Fusarium spp. produce at least one mycotoxin.

Ergot

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Pathogens: Claciceps purpurea.

Affected crops: All cereals: Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye and Triticale (also a wide range of grasses inc. Black-grass).

Source of infection:

Infection is spread by drilling the Ergots within the contaminated seed (1 of 2 diseases covered by the UK Seed Certification Scheme for Cereals).
Spread can occur from the overwintering spores from previous seasons.

Symptoms:

The fungus only attacks the ear at flowering, replacing the grain in a few spikelets by a hard, purple-black sclerotium, known as an Ergot.
Ergots can be very large, up to 2 cm in length, and are very obvious in the standing crop and in contaminated grain samples.

Importance:

The disease has very little direct effect on yield but the Ergots contain large amounts of toxic alkaloids.
If grain contaminated with Ergots is fed to stock or used to make flour then there are real risks to animal and human health.
Contaminated grain may be rejected.

Watch outs: Cool, wet conditions during flowering (prolonged flowering period).

Loose Smut

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Pathogens: Ustilago spp (U. nuda f sp tritici, U. nuda f sp hordei and U. Avenae.

Affected crops: Wheat, Barley and Oats.

Source of infection: Fungus develops within plant as it develops and expressed in the ear.

Symptoms:

At ear emergence grain is usually completely replaced by a mass of black fungal spores.
Partly affected ears are sometimes seen.
The spores are released as soon as the ear emerges, leaving only the bare remains of the ear rachis.

Importance: Seed certification and resistant varieties have minimised seed-borne infection.

Watch outs:

Cool, moist conditions during flowering.
Infected neighbouring crops.
Seed repeatedly sown without treatment.

Bunt (Stinking Smut)

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Pathogens: Tilletia tritici

Affected crops: Wheat

Source of infection: Infection can occur from either infected seed or soil.

Symptoms:

No symptoms can be observed prior to ear emergence.
In infected ears the grain is replaced by seed-like 'bunt balls' each containing millions of greasy, black foul smelling spores.
The whole field may smell of rotting fish.
In wet weather conditions the ears may appear to be covered in a black ink-like substance as the spores are released and run out of the protective glumes onto the ear and stem.

Importance: The disease is rare in the UK as the vast majority of seed is treated with a fungicidal seed treatment. However, the disease is potentially very damaging and can lead to complete crop loss due to grain being unsaleable because of discolouring and smell.

Watch outs:

Each bunt ball contains millions of spores the capacity for contamination of healthy grain in the same field is enormous!
Continuous saving and resowing of untreated seed.
Contamination of machinery and stores.
Dry spores can survive years.

Choosing the Right Seed Treatment

VIBRANCE^® Duo contains Fludioxonil and Sedaxane for control of a range of seed borne diseases in winter and spring wheat, winter triticale, winter rye and spring oats, winter and spring barley.

VIBRANCE^® Duo in Wheat (Winter and Spring)

Controls: Seed borne snow mould (Monographella nivalis), Septoria nodorum, seed borne Fusarium culmorum, Common bunt (Tilletia caries), loose smut (Ustilago tritici) and moderate control of seed borne ear blight (Fusarium graminearum).

VIBRANCE^® Duo Improves Crop Establishment and Rooting

Additional establishment and rooting benefits seen with Vibrance Duo

VIBRANCE^® Duo (left), SPD (right)

SPD (left), VIBRANCE^® Duo (right)

VIBRANCE^® Duo in Barley (Winter and Spring)

Controls: Seed borne snow mould (Monographella nivalis), covered smut (Ustilago hordei) and moderate control of leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) and loose smut (Ustilago nuda) in barley.

(Barley seed treated with VIBRANCE^® Duo must not be used for seed multiplication (certified seed) unless co-applied with another product which controls Leaf stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) and Loose smut (Ustilago nuda)).

VIBRANCE^® Duo Improves Crop Establishment and Rooting

SPD

VIBRANCE^® Duo

Other Crops and Diseases

Triticale (winter): VIBRANCE^® Duo will control seed borne snow mould (Monographella nivalis) in winter triticale.

Oats (spring): VIBRANCE^® Duo will control loose smut (Ustilago avenae) in spring oats.

Rye (winter): VIBRANCE^® Duo will control seed borne snow mould (Monographella nivalis) and stripe smut (Urocystis occulta) in winter rye.

Useful links & downloads:

Fungicidal Seed Treatments in Regenerative Agriculture - Download PDF

VIBRANCE^® Duo

Seed Treatment

VIBRANCE DUO

FS (Flowable Concentrate for Seed Treatment)

25 g/l fludioxonil
25 g/l sedaxane

VIBRANCE DUO contains fludioxonil and sedaxane for control of a range of seed borne diseases in winter and spring wheat, winter triticale, winter rye and spring oats, winter and spring barley.Premium dual‑active protectionFludioxonil + sedaxane deliver broader, stronger control of seed‑borne diseases across wheat, barley, rye, triticale and oats.Enhanced RootingPower™Sedaxane promotes greater root growth, higher biomass and improved resilience under stress.Stronger establishment in challenging conditionsSupports reliable emergence and early crop vigour across a wide range of soil types, crop rotation scenarios and fields under varying levels of weed pressure.Proven performance upliftTrials show improved crop response and yield benefits versus standard treatments.Best‑in‑class applicationLow‑dust, reliable formulation ensures even seed coverage and excellent handling.

Seed Treatment

BERET GOLD

FS (Flowable Concentrate for Seed Treatment)

25 g/l fludioxonil

BERET GOLD contains fludioxonil for control of a range of seed and soil borne diseases in wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale.Standard cereal disease protectionReliable control of major seed‑ and soil‑borne diseases in wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale.Effective contact activityFludioxonil suppresses pathogens on the seed surface and surrounding soil.Consistent, dependable performanceStrong control of early‑stage cereal diseases supports even, uniform emergence.Low‑dust, smooth applicationExcellent flowability ensures clean handling and uniform seed coverage.Proven, reliable choice trusted across many seasons of UK cereal productionLong‑standing use and steady performance make BERET GOLD a solution growers continue to rely on year after year.

Seedcare

Seed & Soil-Borne Disease

Choosing the Right Seed Treatment

VIBRANCE® Duo in Wheat (Winter and Spring)

VIBRANCE® Duo (left), SPD (right)

VIBRANCE® Duo in Barley (Winter and Spring)

SPD

VIBRANCE® Duo

Other Crops and Diseases

Useful links & downloads:

VIBRANCE® Duo

VIBRANCE^® Duo in Wheat (Winter and Spring)

VIBRANCE^® Duo (left), SPD (right)

VIBRANCE^® Duo in Barley (Winter and Spring)

VIBRANCE^® Duo

VIBRANCE^® Duo