Take-all management: Key considerations before & autumn drilling
This interview with Leanne Fowler originally appeared in Farmers Guide, June 2026
Changing weather patterns, tighter rotations and rising input costs are reshaping drilling decisions. Here, Certis Belchim seed treatment portfolio manager, Leanne Fowler, answers the important questions that should be asked before drilling wheat this autumn.
Is take-all risk changing, or is it just more of the same?
A: It's changing and increasing in many situations.
What we're seeing now are more seasons with mild, wet autumns and winters, and that's exactly what take-all thrives on.
The challenge is that it's not always obvious. You don't necessarily see classic patches every year, but the disease can still be there, quietly reducing yield and efficiency
Research shows that these conditions can significantly increase infection levels and disease severity, even when symptoms are masked.
So, it's not just about one season, it's about what's building up in the soil over time.
How much is rotation influencing that risk?
A: Crop rotation is still one of the biggest drivers. The more cereals you have in the system, the greater the opportunity for take-all to build.
The reality is that rotations are tightening. Oilseed rape has dropped out of some, and growers are looking at SFI options or simply coming back to wheat because it's the most reliable crop.
Second wheats remain profitable, but they carry higher risk, with take-all capable of causing significant yield losses in high-pressure situations.
It's not about avoiding second wheats altogether; it's about recognising the risk and managing it properly.
Are break crops still doing their job?
A: Not always, and that's something that's easy to overlook.
If you've got grassweeds or cereal volunteers in a break crop, cover crop or SFI option, they can carry take-all through the rotation. So, what might look like a break on paper isn't necessarily a break in practice.
Grassweeds such as black-grass and Italian ryegrass can host the pathogen, maintaining inoculum between crops.
That's why it's important to look at field history in detail. If grassweed control hasn't been effective, you may need to treat that next crop as higher risk.
What about drilling date? How important is it?
A: It's a key lever. Later drilling into cooler soils helps reduce take-all risk, but that's not always practical.
After a difficult autumn, growers often want to start earlier to spread workload and make the most of conditions when they're right.
However, earlier drilling increases exposure, as the pathogen is more active in warmer soils
It becomes a balancing act. If you're bringing drilling forward, you need to think about how you're managing that additional risk.
Where does IPM fit into take-all management?
A: IPM is central. You're looking at rotation, variety choice, drilling date, seedbed conditions. All those things working together.
But in higher-risk situations, cultural controls will only take you so far.
Even well-managed second wheats remain exposed to take-all pressure.
That's where seed treatments come in. Latitude (silthiofam) is the only fungicide seed treatment approved for take-all, and it works by protecting the seedling at that critical early stage.
So how should growers approach seed treatment decisions this autumn?
A: It must be a risk-based decision. There's no one-size-fits-all approach.
Long-term UK data suggests an average yield response of around 0.55t/ha in second wheats, with higher responses in high-pressure situations.
In many cases, it doesn't take a big yield lift to cover the cost, so it often makes sense where risk is there.
To help, we offer a Latitude Cost Benefit Calculator on the Certis Belchim website.
It's a practical tool designed to quantify the likely return on investment from seed treatment.
By factoring in variables such as expected grain price, seed rate and treatment cost, the calculator allows users to assess how much yield response is needed to break even and where additional margin can be achieved.
In many cases, relatively modest gains – often in the region of 0.2 to 0.3t/ha – are enough to justify treatment, particularly in higher-risk second wheat situations.
It's about putting real numbers around the decision. Once you do that, it becomes much clearer where Latitude fits within the overall strategy.
What's your key message for growers this season?
A: Don't underestimate what's happening below ground.
Take-all isn't always visible, but it can have a real impact on yield consistency and efficiency.
If roots are compromised, the plant can't make full use of the nutrients you're applying and that's especially important with nitrogen.
Protect the root system and you'll give the crop a much better chance of performing, whatever the season brings.
Subscribe to Farmers Guide here: https://www.farmersguide.co.uk/
Take-all management: Key considerations before & autumn drilling
This interview with Leanne Fowler originally appeared in Farmers Guide, June 2026
Changing weather patterns, tighter rotations and rising input costs are reshaping drilling decisions. Here, Certis Belchim seed treatment portfolio manager, Leanne Fowler, answers the important questions that should be asked before drilling wheat this autumn.
Is take-all risk changing, or is it just more of the same?
A: It's changing and increasing in many situations.
What we're seeing now are more seasons with mild, wet autumns and winters, and that's exactly what take-all thrives on.
The challenge is that it's not always obvious. You don't necessarily see classic patches every year, but the disease can still be there, quietly reducing yield and efficiency
Research shows that these conditions can significantly increase infection levels and disease severity, even when symptoms are masked.
So, it's not just about one season, it's about what's building up in the soil over time.
How much is rotation influencing that risk?
A: Crop rotation is still one of the biggest drivers. The more cereals you have in the system, the greater the opportunity for take-all to build.
The reality is that rotations are tightening. Oilseed rape has dropped out of some, and growers are looking at SFI options or simply coming back to wheat because it's the most reliable crop.
Second wheats remain profitable, but they carry higher risk, with take-all capable of causing significant yield losses in high-pressure situations.
It's not about avoiding second wheats altogether; it's about recognising the risk and managing it properly.
Are break crops still doing their job?
A: Not always, and that's something that's easy to overlook.
If you've got grassweeds or cereal volunteers in a break crop, cover crop or SFI option, they can carry take-all through the rotation. So, what might look like a break on paper isn't necessarily a break in practice.
Grassweeds such as black-grass and Italian ryegrass can host the pathogen, maintaining inoculum between crops.
That's why it's important to look at field history in detail. If grassweed control hasn't been effective, you may need to treat that next crop as higher risk.
What about drilling date? How important is it?
A: It's a key lever. Later drilling into cooler soils helps reduce take-all risk, but that's not always practical.
After a difficult autumn, growers often want to start earlier to spread workload and make the most of conditions when they're right.
However, earlier drilling increases exposure, as the pathogen is more active in warmer soils
It becomes a balancing act. If you're bringing drilling forward, you need to think about how you're managing that additional risk.
Where does IPM fit into take-all management?
A: IPM is central. You're looking at rotation, variety choice, drilling date, seedbed conditions. All those things working together.
But in higher-risk situations, cultural controls will only take you so far.
Even well-managed second wheats remain exposed to take-all pressure.
That's where seed treatments come in. Latitude (silthiofam) is the only fungicide seed treatment approved for take-all, and it works by protecting the seedling at that critical early stage.
So how should growers approach seed treatment decisions this autumn?
A: It must be a risk-based decision. There's no one-size-fits-all approach.
Long-term UK data suggests an average yield response of around 0.55t/ha in second wheats, with higher responses in high-pressure situations.
In many cases, it doesn't take a big yield lift to cover the cost, so it often makes sense where risk is there.
To help, we offer a Latitude Cost Benefit Calculator on the Certis Belchim website.
It's a practical tool designed to quantify the likely return on investment from seed treatment.
By factoring in variables such as expected grain price, seed rate and treatment cost, the calculator allows users to assess how much yield response is needed to break even and where additional margin can be achieved.
In many cases, relatively modest gains – often in the region of 0.2 to 0.3t/ha – are enough to justify treatment, particularly in higher-risk second wheat situations.
It's about putting real numbers around the decision. Once you do that, it becomes much clearer where Latitude fits within the overall strategy.
What's your key message for growers this season?
A: Don't underestimate what's happening below ground.
Take-all isn't always visible, but it can have a real impact on yield consistency and efficiency.
If roots are compromised, the plant can't make full use of the nutrients you're applying and that's especially important with nitrogen.
Protect the root system and you'll give the crop a much better chance of performing, whatever the season brings.
Subscribe to Farmers Guide here: https://www.farmersguide.co.uk/