Effects of Different Seeding Rates on Disease Incidences of Wheat Sharp Eyespot and Selection of Fungicides

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effects of the seeding rate on the disease incidence of sharp eyespot (Rhizoctonia cerealis) on three different varieties and to select effective chemicals to control the disease. When the seeds were sown twice as many as the recommendation, the disease incidence increased by approximately 13%. However, the susceptible variety 'Jopummil' alone showed the significantly enhanced disease incidence at a twofold seeding rate. Two chemicals such as Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC highly inhibited the fungal growth on agar medium. However, two strobilurin fungicides such as Pyraclostrobin EC and Trifloxystrobin SC were relatively weak. The fungicides tested displayed the similar in vivo antifungal activities as in vitro activities. Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC showed the strongest both protective and curative activities and the protective activities of the chemicals were generally higher than the curative activities. Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC controlled the disease by 64% and 73%, respectively, and the two chemicals reduced the disease by 45% and 39%, respectively, when they were applied one day after pathogen inoculation. These results indicate that both Hexaconazole EC and Tebuconazole EC could be used to control sharp eyespot on wheat.