Key Points
- Disease pressure was low to moderate, with scald and powdery mildew testing the cost effectiveness of low rates of fungicide
- Yields ranged from 6.5t/ha for the untreated, through to 7.5t/ha. The majority of treatments had significantly higher yields than the untreated plants. Although these treatments as a group, had equal yields
- Spending $60 per spray (including application costs) gave the best return on investment. In most situations, and in drier years, one spray remained necessary, while in wetter, higher disease years, two-spray programmes may be more appropriate