Cereal IPM Toolboox

1

Resistant varieties

  1. We identify resistance components that are complementary in their mechanism and genetics that, when combined using molecular markers, together produce durable resistance. Read more...
  2. We carry out work to understand the importance of asymptomatic infection and the triggers that lead to symptom development (disease). Read more...
2

Crop deployment

  1. We mix varieties in different proportions, complexity and patchiness to exploit epidemiological factors and complementarity to reduce disease and increase resource-use efficiency. Read more...
  2. We study the impact of mixing crop species, particularly cereal-legume mixtures, on yield, resource-use efficiency and disease. This includes the use of cover crops or under-sowing and the impact on weeds.
3

Crop protection

  1. We develop the use of resistance elicitors that enhance the efficacy of the crop’s own resistance mechanisms as components of crop protection programmes with conventional fungicides. Read more...
  2. We study the interaction of different resistance elicitors, their complementarity, pleiotrophic effects (/trade-offs) and interaction with different varieties. Elicitors represent commercially-available products as well as potential actives. Read more...
4

Rotation and tillage

  1. We investigate the impact of tillage system on variety performance in terms of yield and disease. We also study the impact of increasing organic matter.
  2. We assess the impact of different rotations together with reduced and targeted inputs on overall disease risk and impact with respect to economic, environmental and social assessments.