Effect of cultural practices on the incidence of leaf blotches of wheat

Abstract

The effects of cultural practices on leaf blotches of wheat, caused by Drechslera tritici-repentis, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Stagonospora nodorum, and on grain yield were assessed in field experiments at Embrapa-CNPT, in Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil. Four soil management systems (no-tillage, minimum tillage, conventional tillage using a disk plow plus disk harrow, and tillage using a moldboard plow plus disk harrow) and three crop rotation systems [system I (wheat/soybean), system II (wheat/soybean and common vetch/corn or sorghum), and system III (wheat/soybean, black oats or white oats/soybean, and common vetch/corn or sorghum)] were compared. A randomized block experimental design, with split-plots and three replicates, was used. Leaf blotch incidence was higher under monoculture and no-till than under crop rotation. Crop rotation under no-tillage controlled leaf blotch diseases and maintained yield stability of wheat.