Oilseed rape growers are being asked to take part in a nationwide effort to better understand light leaf spot.
The farmer-led initiative, known as the ‘Spore Scout’ study, is seeking leaf samples from crops showing disease symptoms. The aim is to build a clearer picture of how light leaf spot is evolving across regions and seasons, and how it can be better controlled.
The study runs from 26 March to 30 April and will be repeated in 2027 and 2028. It forms part of the £2.5m LLS-Erased project, funded by Defra and led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN).
Tracking disease
Light leaf spot remains one of the most damaging diseases in oilseed rape, but its behaviour can be difficult to predict. Concerns are growing over its impact on yields – with control increasingly challenging.
Infections often occur in the autumn, but symptoms may not appear until spring, making early detection difficult, says plant pathology professor Yongju Huang, from Hertfordshire University.
Collecting samples from across the UK is key to understanding how the pathogen is changing – both locally and regionally. Updated guidance will then be issued to growers and agronomists.
“We are keen to receive samples from growers across the UK to help us understand variations in pathogen virulence towards cultivar resistance,” says Prof Huang. Samples will help refine control strategies and guide varietal choice.
Better decisions
Samples collected over the three-year project will feed into a decision support system designed to improve disease management. The system will combine field data with real-time risk forecasting.
Tom Allen-Stevens, Oxfordshire farmer and managing director of BOFIN, says the project comes at a critical time. “Yield losses from light leaf spot are increasing so this project couldn’t come soon enough.”
“By sending in samples growers are directly contributing to research that will improve how we understand and manage the disease. The more samples we receive the stronger the data and the more useful the results will be for all growers.”
To register for a sampling pack, including instructions and a pre-paid return envelope at tinyurl.com/SporeScout