C. Yi et al., Head blight (Fusarium graminearum) and deoxynivalenol concentration in winter wheat as affected by pre-crop, soil tillage and nitrogen fertilization, Z PFLANZENK, 108(3), 2001, pp. 217-230
Citations number
55
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PFLANZENKRANKHEITEN UND PFLANZENSCHUTZ-JOURNAL OF PLANT DISEASES AND PROTECTION
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by F. graminearum, is increasing world-w
ide. Fusarium mycotoxins are a serious threat of health and a reliable cont
rol by fungicides is not possible, yet. The present study was conducted in
order to evaluate the influence of different pre-crops and crop husbandry o
n FHB incidence in winter wheat test crops. In a 2-years factorial field ex
periment on the experimental station Ihinger Hof of the University of Hohen
heim (480 in a. s. l., loam soil, 7,9 degreesC, 690 mm), inoculated pre-cro
ps of maize or spring wheat were harvested for silage with only the stubble
remaining in the field or for grain by combine with the whole straw remain
ing. Subsequently, crop residues were left on the soil surface or ploughed
under before sowing winter wheat. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied to these
test crops with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) or nitrolime. FHB was assess
ed by plot scores, by observations of disease incidence, disease severity a
nd grain infection, indirectly via grain germination and by chemical deoxyn
ivalenol (DON) analyses. The infection by FHB and the grain contamination w
ith DON were similar after maize and spring wheat, either for silage or for
grain, but the method of pre-crop inoculation by infected cat grains might
have masked differences between precrops, The reductions of FHB incidence
due to ploughing or nitrolime application were 27-32 % or 31-59 % compared
with residues remaining on the surface or CAN fertilization, respectively.
Contemporary reductions in DON were less consistent. The assessment of perc
ent infected ears can be recommended as a comparatively fast method for FHB
evaluation that showed significant correlations with DON concentration and
grain germination, too. But a reliable estimation of DON concentrations is
not possible on the basis of infection assessments. In conclusion, crop he
alth can be supported by crop husbandry to some degree, but FHB cannot be r
eliably controlled in susceptible rotations with abundant sources of inocul
um.