Agrotechnical methods ofreducing root rot for cultivating spring wheat in organic farming

Abstract

Energy-saving technologies of wheat cultivation limit the buffer role of the agrotechnical method in reducing the spread of root rot. This situation calls for using increased volumes of pesticides in order to decrease harvest losses arising from actions of harmful organisms, which does not allow to produce organic food.Considering this, evaluation of the efficiency of agrotechnical methods of cultivating spring wheat aimed at enhancing phytosanitary conditions of crops is very important. The goal of our work was to evaluate the role of predecessors, methods of soil preparation,organic fertilizers, new varieties of spring wheat, and the timing of planting in limiting the spread and reducing the harmfulness of root rot. Our study has been conducted in the forest-steppe zone of Eastern Siberia. We have established that green manure in crop rotationandfallow arable land with introduction of 30 t/ha of organic manure fertilizer with a disc harrow to a depth of 10–12 cmreduce the spread and severity of root rot and increase wheat yields. In the plantings of the new variety of spring wheat Marsianka, the spread of the disease was reliably less,and the yield was higher compared to the control variety Tulunskaya 11. The optimal planting date for the average of two years was May 25, the crops planted then compared to those planted on May 30 were 9.4% less affected by the disease and gave a reliable increase in the harvest of 0.15 tons/ha. Our studies have shown that during production of organic wheat we can limit the spread andharmfulness of root rot withagrotechnical methods.