Bulb and Salad Onion: Evaluation of an integrated disease management system to ascribe risk of downy mildew disease on commercial crops in the UK

 

 

 

There is considerable scope for benefit from this work in terms of early detection and improved spray timing. Salad onions have few active ingredients which can be used to control onion downy mildew. Ultimately, financial benefit will be gained through improved quality and reduced pesticide residues. In year 2 of the project the infield tests will be carried out by the grower / consultant. This will provide the opportunity for informed disease control measures to be put in place directly following a ‘risk’ period. Knowledge transfer events with ‘hands on’ use of the kit will be provided in Year 2 of the project.

 

 

 

 

The aim of the project is to provide validation of the onion downy mildew ‘in field’ lateral flow tests in onion crops. These will be used as part of an integrated disease management system for the control of downy mildew in UK onion crops with minimal fungicide input. The use of ‘in field’ tests (lateral flows) will be evaluated in commercial cropping systems for their accuracy in monitoring airborne downy mildew disease transmission events. MILLIONCAST, an environmental model which identifies periods during which the crop would be at risk to onion downy mildew infection, will be used in conjunction with the tests to ascribe disease risk periods. The timed application of disease control measures (fungicide applications) will be made in response to these warnings.