Optimised biopesticide timing system for Septoria tritici control in wheat

Overview

Septoria leaf blotch, caused by Zymoseptoria tritici, is one of the most economically damaging diseases of wheat in the UK and across Europe. Biopesticides represent the fastest-growing segment of crop protection globally, yet their adoption in arable farming remains constrained by inconsistent efficacy, lack of residual activity, and high application costs. This project addresses those barriers by shifting biopesticide use from undirected, calendar-based spraying to precision-timed applications driven by real-time pathogen monitoring.

The core value proposition is straightforward: if growers can detect when Z. tritici spores are landing on the leaf surface and confirm that conditions are conducive for germination, biopesticides such as Serenade can be deployed at the moment they are most effective. By integrating spore trapping with rapid molecular detection and environmental forecasting, the approach promises more reliable disease control, reduced fungicide inputs, and lower overall spray programme costs.

Technical specifications

Core approach:

• Spore trapping networks deployed within wheat crops to capture airborne Z. tritici inoculum as it enters the canopy
• Rapid molecular techniques used to confirm pathogen presence in trap samples, enabling timely decision-making
• Environmental and disease-forecasting models that identify conducive conditions for pathogen germination and biopesticide activity
• Spray timing recommendations aligned to the germination window rather than fixed crop growth-stage schedules

Trial design (NU Farms commercial wheat platform):

• Comparison of three treatment strategies: conventional fungicide only, biopesticide only, and mixed programmes using biopesticides at low inoculum pressures
• Flexible timing based on spore sampling predictions versus conventional agronomist-directed T1–T4 spray timings
• Assessment metrics include disease severity ratings, grain yield, grain quality, and treatment cost per hectare

Partnership requirements:

• Supply of biopesticide products for inclusion in field trials
• Equipment to extend the spore sampling network across additional trial sites

Technology readiness level

The programme is grounded in four years of on-farm trial evidence demonstrating that biopesticide-inclusive fungicide programmes can deliver Septoria control comparable to conventional sprays, although results have been variable by site and season. Current work focuses on optimising timing and integration strategies through controlled comparison on a commercial wheat platform at NU Farms. The system is at field-validation stage (TRL 6–7), with the next milestone being demonstration that precision-timed biopesticide applications consistently outperform undirected applications in efficacy and cost-effectiveness across multiple seasons.