Oilseed Rape Light Leaf Spot Rapid Test by Microgenetics Launching Autumn 2022
The most economically damaging disease for UK oilseed rape is Light Leaf Spot. Leading to losses in yield of up to 50%, the damages translate to an enormous £80 million loss for the UK economy every year.
Identifying the disease sooner rather than later is key to control, something not made easy given the speed at which spores are released and spread, as well as the fact early infections are hard to detect by eye.
That’s why Microgenetics have adapted SwiftDetect: a rapid test that can quantify the level of crop disease in a small sample of leaves, even before visible signs emerge.
Differentiated by its unique sensitivity and 1 business day turnaround, SwiftDetect has already been available for 2 years, testing for diseases such as Septoria and Ramularia in wheat and barley.
It has allowed Farmers and Agronomists to take a proactive approach, providing early warnings of disease and actionable insight to support fungicide decisions. In turn, some customers have saved thousands through a more efficient and effective use of fungicides, or better protected yield by tailoring treatment according to disease levels.
The Light Leaf Spot test has been extensively trialled in collaboration with the Ad4pt Group, with excellent results.
SwiftDetect is being adapted over the coming years to test for other devastating diseases. Trials are already underway for Phoma, which will be the second test for oilseed rape. However, the team are setting their horizons further, looking at other crops and seeds.