Title

Management of Fusarium Head Blight in Spring Wheat Cultivars with Fungicides- 2016

(Research Report, Langdon REC, December 2016)
Lead Author
Lead Author:
Venkataramana Chapara, PhD
Other Authors

Amanda Arens, Andrew Friskop

Availability
Availability:
Web only
Publication Sections

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of fungicides in single and sequential applications to manage Fusarium head blight (FHB) in hard red spring wheat (HRSW).

Methods:

Location: NDSU Langdon Research Extension Center.

Experimental Design: Randomized complete block with four replications.

Previous crop: Soybean

Cultivars of HRSW tested: WB Mayville and SY Ingmar

Planting: 1.2 million pure live seeds/A was planted on May 2, 2016. A border plot was planted between treated plots to minimize interference from spray drift.

Plot size: Seven rows at six inch spacing. 5 ft. x 20 ft., mowed back to 5 ft. x 16 ft.

Herbicides Applied: Axial XL (16.4 Fl. oz/A) + Huskie (15 Fl. oz/A) + Prowl H2O (36 Fl. oz/A)

Inoculation: Plots were inoculated by spreading corn spawn inoculum at around boot stage (Feekes 9-10) at the rate of 300 g/plot.

Disease development: Supplemental moisture was provided by running overhead irrigation from Feekes 9 to 11.25 at the rate of one hour per day to create conducive environment for FHB development.

Fungicide treatments: Fungicides were applied, with CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer with three nozzle boom (XR-8002) and the water volume used was 20 GPA. Fungicide application was made at Feekes 10.51(anthesis) on July 4 and repeated 4 days after the first spray (July 8, 2016).

Disease Assessment: FHB incidence was calculated by counting the number of heads showing FHB symptoms out of 50 heads that were rated for severity. FHB head severity was rated using 0-100% scale on arbitrary 50 heads, excluding two outer rows. FHB index (Index) was calculated using formula: Index = (SEV*INC)/100.

Harvest: Plots were harvested on August 24 with a small plot combine and the yield was determined. 

Data Analysis: Statistical analysis was done using SAS. Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) was used to compare means at p (α = 0.05). Actual means are presented in the table for simplicity of understanding. 

Results:

Both the HRSW varieties had the lowest FHB incidence, severity, index, DON content, FDK, and yield when treated with the combination fungicide treatments applied at Feekes 10.51 and repeated 4 days after the first application (Table 1) followed by Prosaro alone and were significantly different from the untreated (inoculated and non-inoculated) checks. 

Table 1: Fungicides tested alone and in combinations on two HRSW varieties at two application timings to manage Fusarium head blight and evaluation of their influence on yield and other grain characteristics: toxin (DON) content, FDK, and test weight.

Fungicides tested alone and in combinations on two HRSW varieties at two application timings to manage Fusarium head blight and evaluation of their influence on yield and other grain characteristics: toxin (DON) content, FDK, and test weight.

Acknowledgements: Bryan Hanson, Travis Hakanson and Lawrence Henry for their technical support