Acta Agronomica Hungarica (2002) 50, 19-25

E.A. Maji and E.D. Imolehin (2002)
Influence of plant growth regulators and nitrogen on Fusarium head blight of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Kalysona)
Acta Agronomica Hungarica 50 (1), 19-25
Abstract: A factorial field experiment was conducted on the demonstration plot of the Plateau Agricultural Development Project (PADP), Jos Plateau State in 1996 with three variables, nitrogen (0 or 80 kg/ha), growth regulator (none, ethephon or chlonnequat) and inoculation (none, inoculation with macroconidia of Fusarium graminearum at anthesis or inoculation 1 week after anthesis). No head blight symptoms developed on plants in the field that year because of the dry conditions. Grain infection by Fusarium graminearum was assessed on a Fusarium selective medium. Nitrogen and growth regulators had no effect on grain infection. In 1997 and 1998, a 3 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted on the same site using the same growth regulator treatments and three inoculation treatments (no inoculation, heads inoculated with macroconidia or rows infested with Fusarium colonized corn kernels that produced ascospores). The incidence of spikelet infection ranged from 2-4% in non-inoculated treatments to 7-25% in inoculated treatments. The incidence of seed infection ranged from 12-31% in non-inoculated treatments to 74-85% in inoculated treatments. Both growth regulators and inoculation treatments had significant effects (P=0.05) on spikelet infection and interacted with each other. These data suggest that growth regulators and nitrogen do not change the inherent susceptibility of wheat heads to F. graminearum, but dwarfed plants may be subject to higher inoculum doses because they are closer to ejected ascospores.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Fusarium graminearum