Results from the CropMonitor disease survey, released this month, reveal foliar disease severity in winter wheat this season is the second lowest in a decade. Disease levels were higher than in 2010, but lower than every other year since 2001.

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The 2011 winter wheat disease survey showed septoria is the most concerning disease, although there has been a continued reduction in incidences; nationally, average levels were less than one per cent of the flag leaf area affected.

Nevertheless, septoria tritici still affected 56.5 per cent of winter wheat crops, principally in the North West region. Although, for the first time, there were no records of septoria nodorum affecting crops this year. Cephalosporium leaf stripe was also not seen.

Incidences of yellow rust, however, were higher in 2011; the disease was recorded in more crops than in any year since 1999 and brown rust was also found in eight per cent of crops, having returned after an absence in 2010.

The results show the incidence and severity of eyespot was at the lowest level since the 1980s and continued the low run of the past three seasons. Fusarium stem base symptoms were present on almost 30 per cent of stems; the figure has remained relatively consistent since 2008.

Also worryingly, incidence of glume spot more than doubled in 2011 compared with 2010 as symptoms were found on 58 per cent of ears, up from 28 per cent. Ear blight incidence, on the other hand, was less than half that seen in 2010, down from 50 per cent to 21 per cent of ears affected.

Survey results, which contain a more detailed year on year breakdown, can be viewed here.