EFFECTS OF FUNGICIDE SPRAYS ON FOLIAR DISEASES, YIELD, AND QUALITY OF SPRING WHEAT IN FINLAND

The fungicide Tilt (propiconazole) applied to spring wheat between Zadoks growth stages 47 and 55 significantly decreased the severity of foliar diseases caused by Septoria nodorum and Erysiphe graminis and prolonged duration of green leaf area. There were, however, genotypic differences in response to fungicide applications. With some cultivars, application of Tilt increased grain yield, nitrogen uptake efficiency and protein quality, but with other cultivars there was no benefit from spraying. Also, in a good growing season (1986) Tilt significantly increased grain nitrogen uptake, grain yield, grain weight, and protein quality, but in a cold and wet year (1987) Tilt did not increase yield or quality of the cultivars tested.