Pulse growers will be better equipped to plan for the upcoming sowing season thanks to the release of Agriculture Victoria's 2022 Pulse Disease Guide.
The annual guide, produced with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation, (GRDC) details how resistant or susceptible new and commonly grown lentil, beans, vetch, chickpea, field pea and lupin varieties are to a range of crop diseases.
Agriculture Victoria Senior Research Scientist Dr Joshua Fanning said the guide includes disease ratings and advice on how to reduce the risk from diseases.
"When making plans for this season, checking the latest pulse disease ratings is a crucial step for pulse growers, especially as ratings can change from year to year.
He said the diseases from last season can increase the risk of disease during 2022.
Diseases of significance last season included Botrytis grey mould in lentils and vetch, chocolate spot in beans and Ascochyta blight in chickpeas and vetch.
"Most disease outbreaks last season were related to susceptible varieties, demonstrating the benefit in avoiding such varieties," Dr Fanning said.
"Other strategies include not planting pulse crops into or adjacent to paddocks where there was disease in 2021 and implementing a fungicide management plan."
Dr Fanning recommends a proactive disease management strategy to reduce the risk of pulse diseases and subsequent yield losses.
The new disease ratings provided in the pulse disease guide are based on an understanding of the diseases present in Victoria and on data collected from plant pathologists working across Australia with support from the GRDC.
View the 2022 Pulse Disease Guide
