The Interaction of Fungicide and Nitrogen for Aboveground Biomass from Flag Leaf Emergence and Grain Yield Generation under Tan Spot Infection in Wheat

Matías Schierenbeck; María Constanza Fleitas; María Rosa Simón

doi:10.3390/plants12010212

The Interaction of Fungicide and Nitrogen for Aboveground Biomass from Flag Leaf Emergence and Grain Yield Generation under Tan Spot Infection in Wheat

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jan 3;12(1):212. doi: 10.3390/plants12010212.

Authors

Matías Schierenbeck^{1

2

3}, María Constanza Fleitas⁴, María Rosa Simón^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Genebank Department, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstr 3, 06466 Seeland, Germany.
² Cereals, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National University of La Plata. Av.60 y 119, La Plata 1900, Argentina.
³ CONICET CCT La Plata. Calle 8 Nº 1467, La Plata 1900, Argentina.
⁴ Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada.

Abstract

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs., the causal agent of tan spot, is one of the most serious biotic diseases affecting wheat worldwide (Triticum aestivum L.). Studying the interaction between different fungicide mixtures and nitrogen (N) rates under tan spot outbreaks is of key importance for reducing aboveground biomass and grain yield losses. Taking this into account, our study took a mechanistic approach to estimating the combined effect of different fungicides and N fertilization schemes on the severity of tan spot, green leaf area index, SPAD index, aboveground biomass dynamics, and yield in a wheat crop affected at the reproductive stage. Our results indicated that reductions in green leaf area, healthy area duration (HAD), and the chlorophyll concentration (SPAD index) due to increases in the percentage of damage led to decreases in biomass production (-19.2%) and grain yield (-48.1%). Fungicides containing triazole + strobilurin + carboxamides (TSC) or triazole + strobilurin (TS) combined with high N doses showed the most efficient disease control. The positive physiological effects of TSC fungicides, such as extending the green leaf area, are probably responsible for the greater production of aboveground biomass (+29.3%), as well as the positive effects on grain yield (+15.8%) with respect to TS. Both fungicide treatments increased grains per spike, kernel weight, spikes m^-2, grains m^-2_, and grain yield. The increase in biomass in the TSC tended to cause slighter non-significant increases in grains per spike, 1000-kernel weight and grain yield compared with TS. The linear regression revealed positive associations among the extension of HAD and biomass (+5.88 g.m^-2.HAD^-1.day^-1), grain yield (+38 kg.ha.HAD^-1.day^-1), and grain number (100.7 grains m².HAD^-1.day^-1), explained by the interactions of high N doses and fungicides. Our study is the first report of the positive effect of TSC fungicides with high N doses on grain yield related-traits under tan spot infections in wheat.

Keywords: Pyrenophora tritici-repentis; chemical control; crop growth rate; fertilizers; fungal diseases; green leaf area; integrated management; yield.

Abstract

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