Agriculture Victoria research leader for plant pathology Joshua Fanning, who specialises in pulse and cereal pathology, said the season had caught the industry off-guard.
“Importers were preparing for a drier season because that’s what was forecast,” Dr Fanning said.
Instead, the season arrived about a month early, and many fungicide shipments are yet to land.
While some of the larger, more commonly used fungicides are in short supply, Dr Fanning said there was ample stock of lesser-used alternative products, and he urged growers to speak with their agronomists about options that might suit their paddocks.
It follows comments last month from Advanced Ag general manager Andrew Mann, who said demand for fungicides had “gone through the roof” after suppliers, bracing for a dry season, were caught out by the wet weather.
Dr Fanning said the situation underlined the importance of integrated disease management, and urged farmers to be realistic about fungicide use, prioritising their highest-value crops and factoring in contracts and long-term plans.
He said growers should also weigh up the disease history of each paddock individually, rather than treating a whole property the same way.
Rusts and powdery mildew are the diseases Agriculture Victoria is watching most closely this year, Dr Fanning said, and he is urging farmers to monitor crops closely and respond quickly if disease is detected.
Mixing and rotating fungicide products is also recommended, he said, to reduce the chance of disease developing resistance to any one product.
Wet conditions are driving much of the risk. Dr Fanning explained that as moisture evaporates from wet soil or standing water, it becomes trapped in the crop canopy, creating humid conditions that are worsened by fog and cool temperatures – ideal conditions for disease to spread.
Growers can find lists of registered products through the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, while Agriculture Victoria has published updated cereal and pulse disease guides on its website.
The Disease Management Extension Network (DMEN) also offers resources for growers looking to stay ahead of emerging disease pressure this season.
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