Effect of soil tillage practices on severity of selected diseases in winter wheat

Abstract

Soil tillage practices involving various depth, intensity, and different methods of loosening the soil and treating plant residues have changed significantly in recent years and have spread also due to technical advance. The reasons are not only in expected benefits for crop production economics but also in preserving and increasing soil fertility. Although the practices were known for decades, their greatest development and use was seen only in the last 15 years, when decreasing production costs, efficient technology and effective herbicides were the main reasons for their development. At present, they are regarded as important alternatives to conventional management practices with moldboard plowing. Minimum soil tillage practices can contribute to effective soil management, however, risks associated with using these practices in various farming conditions shall be regarded. For cereals, these risks also include disease severity that is conditioned by several circumstances, which change along with the crop management practice, variety assortment or weather in individual years. Diseases that can be of greater importance in relation to the conservation soil tillage practice are stem-base diseases, root diseases and Fusarium head blight. Our experiments did not demonstrate an increased demand for protection against Fusarium head blight, foot diseases and take-all in the given system (three-crop rotation where wheat followed white mustard). Individual years were an important factor.

Soil protecting effect of the surface cover in extreme summer periods

“…Materials for soil protection are required at different times and in different quantities in the different regions (Cannell 1985, Gruber et al 2012. Keeping crop residues on the surface or near the surface entails crop protectionrelated issues (Váňová et al 2011). Climate-induced damage however, is observed frequently outside the growing season in some regions.…”

Cultural Practices Influencing Biological Management of Crop Diseases

“…However, these tillage practices result in accumulation of postharvest plant residues in the top layer. The infected residues may be a potential infection source for a range of soilborne diseases (Jirak-Peterson and Esker 2011 ; Váňová et al 2011 ) .…”

“…The eyespot disease incidence was higher in plots with conventional tillage treatment. Higher level of risk of getting enhanced level of incidence of stem base diseases, root diseases and Fusarium head blight disease appeared to be associated with conservation tillage practice (Váňová et al 2011 ) .…”

Soil Management Technologies and Mycotoxin Contamination of Wheat and Barley Grain

“…Also, registered are products for biological protection. Plant protection against FHB, just as for other diseases, is not based solely on pesticide application but includes cultivar selection and a complex of preventive and agronomic strategies that can to a large extent prevent strong disease infection (Pereyra and Dill-Macky 2008;Chandelier et al 2011;Váňová et al 2011;Vogelgsang et al 2011;Landschoot et al 2012Landschoot et al , 2013. The purpose of comprehensive plant protection is to take into consideration all available methods that suppress the development of harmful organisms.…”