Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The Suitability of Different Winter and Spring Wheat Varieties for Cultivation in Organic Farming
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58351
Susceptibility to diseases is one of the factors that should be taken into account when evaluating
the usefulness of cereal varieties in organic farming. The intensity of stem base diseases in
spring wheat was low throughout the research years (Table 17).
Fusarium
spp. pathogens were
the most common. According to the literature review, diseases caused by
Fusarium
are not
more often in cereals grown in the organic system than in the conventional one (this also applies
to mycotoxin content) [32, 33]. Cvs. Tybalt, Nawra and Żura were slightly more resistant to
those diseases while Bombona and Parabola were more susceptible.
Infection index (%)
Cultivar
Mean
2008
2009
2010
Bombona
5.7 ab*
8.6 b
24.8 c
13.0 b
Bryza
9.8 b
8.5 b
3.5 ab
7.3 ab
Nawra
7.7 ab
4.7 ab
1.5 a
4.6 a
Parabola
7.7 ab
3.2 ab
23.4 c
11.4 b
Raweta
3.2 a
3.8 ab
13.2 bc
6.7 a
Tybalt
3.8 a
2.4 a
6.7 ab
4.3 a
Vinjett
4.9 ab
4.1 ab
14.7 bc
7.9 ab
Zadra
7.4 ab
8.0 b
9.3 b
8.2 ab
Żura
7.4 ab
4.3 ab
4.0 ab
5.2 a
mean
6.4
5.3
11.2
7.6
* data marked with the same letters do not differ significantly at α=0.05
Table 17.
The infestation index (%) of roots and stem base of spring wheat in organic system at milk-dough stage
The damage of flag and underflag leaves by fungal pathogens was different among varieties
and years, but in no case it was significant (Table 18). Cv. Tybalt showed the lowest (almost
none) damage rate to its flag leaves at milk-dough stage, and its underflag leaves were just a
little more damaged in 2009. On the other hand, Cv. Parabola was the most susceptible to
fungal damage. With increasing fungal leaf diseases, the thousand grain weight decreased
(Table 13). Incidence of fungal diseases in conventional farming system, due to the use of
fungicides, was low. The thousand grain weight of conventionally cultivated wheat was higher
by 14 to 31% than that of organic farming for cv. Parabola, and from 7 to 12% for cv. Tybalt.
Spring wheat was infested by different species of pathogens in different years. In 2008,
Puccinia
recodita
was the most frequent disease. In that year, cvs. Żura and Zadra were also strongly
infected with
Erysiphe graminis.
In 2009, there was no dominant pathogen species. Vinjett and
Żura were infected with
Sepptoria
spp. and
Dreschlera tritici-repentis
, Bombona, Bryza and
Zadra with
Puccinia recodita
and
Erysiphe graminis
while in Parabola all pathogen species
