They're throwing the book ­ more correctly the people who write the book ­ at cereal foliar diseases in Goondiwindi next week (August 17).

It's another Grains Research Update, but a special one, with one major focus ­ management of leaf diseases like yellow leaf spot and streak mosaic virus in wheat, spot and net blotches in barley and rusts in both wheat and barley.

It's been called to ensure leading growers and their advisers are better prepared to respond to disease outbreaks in the current season and into the future.

The Update is an extension of the usual, annual round organised by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) with the support of the Queensland and New South Wales Departments of Primary Industries, AgForce and the New South Wales Farmers Association.

The subject matter being what it is, specialist speakers have been invited from the crop science companies ­ Bayer's Richard Daniel to discuss when and where it is appropriate to use cereal seed treatments in the northern grains region and Syngenta's Tim Kimpton to look at new fungicides and their likely place in the crop cycle.

GRDC Update coordinator John Cameron says the corporation has sponsored a series of cereal foliar disease updates around Australia this season.

"Part of the motivation has been grower interest in the potential use and role of foliar fungicides in taking cereal yields to the next level by protecting the crop from yield loss," Mr Cameron said.

"With crop yield potential rising, the cost of fungicides decreasing, and emerging disease threats ­ such as the recent outbreak of stripe rust in much of the southern cereal belt ­ there are profitable opportunities to use fungicides in an integrated approach to disease management.

"For a number of reasons we don't believe stripe rust is a major immediate threat in northern New South Wales or Queensland, but that doesn't mean growers and advisers aren't concerned about other leaf diseases.

"We decided to take the opportunity to link all the major diseases in one day of discussion and to bring the appropriate experts on them to Goondiwindi."

Mr Cameron said because disease outbreaks did not occur every season in the northern region, the skills needed to scout, identify and respond appropriately to them were not practised and honed as regularly as skills relating to weed or insect management.

At Goondiwindi on August 17, NSWDPI pathologist Steve Simpfendorfer would join QDPI&F's Greg Platz to look at field techniques to identify the key diseases and discuss disease scouting processes.

QDPI&F's Emma Colson would discuss yellow leaf spot and wheat streak mosaic virus and the University of Sydney's rust specialist Harbans Bariana the spread, impact and economics of managing rust diseases in wheat and barley.

"A session that is sure to benefit all will be Greg Platz's presentation on strategies for foliar disease management in cereals. Greg will share his insights on how to read a crop to best estimate when and how to act, and when it is best to just keep monitoring," Mr Cameron said.

"Significant time at Goondiwindi will be spent working on solutions to real paddock situations, where the most appropriate course of action may not be clear. Key pathologists and advisers will be challenged in an open forum.

"Attendance at the Goondiwindi Cereal Foliar Disease Update will cost $30 per person ­ $25 for a second person from the same farm ­ to cover the costs of printing and catering."

Mr Cameron said registrations at the Royal Hotel in Goondiwindi would begin at 8.30 am on August 17, with earlier registrations able to be made to Stephanie Belfield on 02 6752 511 or Mike McDonald on 07 4671 6716