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GRDC's Crop Protection team reminds Australian growers to properly treat barley seed kept for sowing, after loose smut outbreaks were reported in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia in 2025. Seed treatment breaks the disease cycle, but success depends on equipment calibration and uniform coverage.
Western Australian trials are testing 18 varieties for susceptibility, with workshops planned for early 2027.
Barley loose smut can cut grain yield and quality in affected fields, which could tighten Australian barley supply if outbreaks recur. The effect on feed barley prices is likely limited because the story is an agronomic advisory rather than a supply shock.
groundcover.grdc.com.auAidan Watts-FawkesNov 1, 2026Not enough comparable past events yet for a historical read.
Moves of each commodity's benchmark from the last close before the event. Historical reads pool past events of the same kind; they describe what happened, not what will. Not investment advice.
