Agronomists warn that a delay in the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) registration of a new seed treatment designed to minimise the risk of the fungal disease crown rot will cost growers millions of dollars this year.
Hopes were high that Syngenta's Victrato product would be available for use for the upcoming winter crop, however the registration process is yet to be finalised so farmers will have to look to alternatives instead.
"This is a big deal, it's going to cost growers in this region millions of dollars," said Outlook Ag agronomist Drew Penberthy, Narrabri.
"We were doing all our planning based on having access to the product, which has performed well in trials, all the feedback we had suggested it was going to be ready for this year and now it is not,"
"Based on the trials we saw it playing a critical role in controlling crown rot, now without it and not necessarily with any good alternatives we are changing up our plans."
"Rotations are going to change as a result of not having access to Victrato, there will a cut in not only durum, but bread wheat plantings and maybe a little more barley, we'll have to make decisions on a case by case basis."
"It is frustrating when we thought we would have access to this product which was really going to fulfill a need for us."
Crown rot is a fungal disease that is particularly damaging in northern cropping regions.
It causes the most damage in years with a good start and then a dry spring and according to 2022 research by plant pathologists across the country can cause over $400 million of damage each year.
Yield losses on a national average were estimated in the study to be around 6 per cent, with this rising to 8-10pc in susceptible areas.
Losses are particularly severe in durum wheat.
Victrato is a new fungicide product from Sygenta with the active ingredient cyclobutrifluram that shows good control of root lesion nematodes, which are linked with an increased severity of crown rot.
Syngenta said the product had been formulated for Australian conditions with optimal soil movement and systemic activity, for targeted protection.
A spokesperson for Syngenta said the focus would now turn towards getting the registration through in time for next year's winter crop.
"Syngenta is continuing to work with the APVMA to advance our application for registration of Victrato and we hope to have good news for farmers next season," they said.
The APVMA was contacted but said it could not comment on the specifics of an application while it was still under evaluation.