EFFECT OF RESIDUE MANAGEMENT ON BARLEY PRODUCTION IN THE PRESENCE OF NET BLOTCH DISEASE

Three residue management schemes were evaluated to determine the effec t of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw residue on disease incidence an d agronomic qualities of two barley cultivars over a 3-yr period. Half of the no-till, one cultivation, or burned plots that were planted wi th either a leaf spot susceptible or a leaf spot resistant cultivar, w ere sprayed with several applications of Tilt fungicide (propiconizole -1- ropyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]methyl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole) at 4 fl oz/acre . The disease resistant cultivar Baronesse had a higher yield than the susceptible cultivar Harrington in all 3 yr by an average of 14 bu/ac re. Application of Tilt fungicide had a similar effect on both cultiva rs and increased the yield of Harrington by an average of 9.6 bu/acre and Baronesse by an average of 9.0 bu/acre. Test weight and percentage plump seed were higher with Baronesse than with Harrington. Percentag e seed protein and percentage thin kernels increased with disease susc eptibility. Although the experimental design did not allow for direct comparisons among residue management treatments, the impact of residue management tended to vary over the 3 yr. Highest yields were harveste d from the burned treatment in 1994 and 1995, while this same treatmen t produced the lowest yields in 1993.