HGCA has announced the publication of another topic sheet. The wheat brown rust management guidance document offers information on variety selection and control to help growers minimise the impact of brown rust in 2013.

Typically, brown rust develops later in the summer than yellow rust, during warm, humid spells of weather. However, with higher than normal spring temperatures, the disease can develop much earlier in the season.

HGCA said choosing varieties that offer resistance to brown rust is "an effective method to manage brown rust" and that "Diversifying varieties can help reduce the risk of disease spread between varieties."

As well as guidance on varietal resistance and control advice, the new topic sheet contains a new diversification scheme to help combat brown rust by choosing varieties from different diversification groups to prevent the disease's spread between neighbouring crops.

Changes have also been made to guidance on yellow rust, following HGCA's publication of the new Recommended List, which builds on previous advice, using data collected this season.

The topic sheet is available here