FUNGAL disease is already rearing its head due to early plantings and on-going wet conditions.
Elders Narrogin branch manager Trent Kensett-Smith said stem rust had been reported in the area, mainly on volunteer crops from last season.
He said growers needed to be on watch for septoria in oats and ring spot and net blotch in barley.
"Growers also need to pay close attention for blackspot in canola, as well as blackleg on some early sown canola," he said.
Mr Kensett-Smith said some canola paddocks were flowering "ridiculously early".
Canola crops near Wagin were already at 5 per cent flowering, while around Cuballing, some are already up to 15pc.
Mr Kensett-Smith said he was recommending growers use a "multi-vitamin" approach and consider trace element applications to ensure that crops had the best chance of fighting fungal disease.
"All the crops in the area are extremely healthy, but a top-up of nitrogen, potash and even copper may be necessary to keep crops in the best health," he said.
Mr Kensett-Smith said growers with low fungal pressure could stick to triazole fungicides, but may need to consider strobilurins or tebuconazoles.
"It is really important that we continue to mix up the different modes of action so we have the option of a 'hammer' later on if we need it," he said.
He said triazole fungicide supplies were good, but the best strategy for growers was to "secure early, stay in touch with your supplier and have one pass in the shed ready to go".
"This is one of those years when early preparation will pay off in spades," Mr Kensett-Smith said.
Department of Food and Agriculture (DAFWA) plant pathologist Ravjit Khangura said conditions meant a "perfect storm" of blackleg across the Wheatbelt due to spore development being a month earlier than normal.
"Except for the northern Wheatbelt, there had been high risk of blackleg spore across all canola growing areas," Dr Khangura said.
"However, those with very early sown crops were are at a lower risk due to the spore development and seeding windows."
She said most growers had got on top of their blackleg management by choosing the right variety, weekly inspections, up-front fungicide applications on seed or fertiliser and a foliar application as planned.
"However, if there had been early infection, we may not see the damage now as we won't see the blackleg cankers until the end of flowering," Dr Khangura said.
The "extraordinarily wet" conditions during seeding could be a record breaker for Kojonup grower Roger Bilney, as the farm had experienced one of the top three wettest starts to the year since 1885.
Seeding was the highest priority for Mr Bilney, who was finishing off his program last week.
He said he had cut about 200 hectares off his 4000ha seeding operations this year due to the wet conditions.
"We haven't seen any fungal disease yet, but we will be adding a fungicide when we do our broadleaf weed spraying," he said.
This year, Mr Bilney had cropped a mix of Williams and Wandering oats, Mace, Zen and Calingiri wheat, Bass barley and canola.
He said he was quite selective when it came to choosing his canola seed, opting for a hybrid Roundup Ready variety with a high blackleg resistance.
"Disease resistance plays a really important part in choosing our seed as the disease can have one of the biggest impacts on yield," he said.
Xavier White is pretty happy that his crop is a month ahead of schedule but he is already seeing spot-type net blotch and net-type net blotch in barley.
"The wheat is clean, the barley on wheat stubble is clean, but we are starting to see net blotch on barley that is planted on barley stubble," he said.
To tackle the present fungal disease in the barley-on-barley crops, Mr White will use Prosaro (prothioconazole and tebuconazole).
Remaining barley and wheat will receive a Tilt (propiconazole) application.
Mr White farms Lindenwood with father Bill, between Wagin and Dumbleyung.
This year, the duo has pulled back on cropping, preferring to leave 450 hectares to pasture for their Merinos.
Of the 1600ha planted, there's a mix of Mace and Hydra wheat and Scope and Fathom barley.
Compared to last year, Mr White said it was "chalk and cheese", with crops a month in front compared to the same time last year.
