UKCPVS news: Major revision to wheat yellow rust disease ratings

Unusually high levels of wheat yellow rust, observed in AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials during 2016, have resulted in an early and major revision to disease ratings.

The new ratings, issued 11 October 2016, affect Groups 3 and 4 winter wheat varieties, with some ratings reduced by as much as four points.

A new annual report, by the AHDB-funded UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS),also published on 11 October, has confirmed the presence of the ‘Kranich’ race and a potential new race – provisionally named ‘Invicta’ – in the UK yellow rust population in 2015.

With the pathogen population changing so rapidly, people are urged to monitor crops, including those with a high disease rating, and report unexpected findings to the UKCPVS.

• Full news item on AHDB website

• New RL yellow rust ratings

• UKCPVS - using field pathogenomics to test for yellow rust