ABSTRACT
The incidence of fungus diseases on cereal crops is highly dependent upon the growing conditions and consequently on the farming system practised. Following centuries of fundamental research many interactions between single husbandry techniques and different cereal pathogens became clear. A major goal of integrated management approaches is to make use of such interactions in order to decrease the susceptibility of the crop plants to the infesting pathogens on one hand and to improve the antagonistic regulation mechanisms on the other hand, when planning overall farm strategies.
In long-term studies at Lautenbach, FRG, an integrated farming system based on a minimised soil tillage, reduced nitrogen fertilisation, band-sowing and an intensive green-manure regime, is compared with a current farming system. Stem base diseases, powdery mildew, brown and yellow rust and Septoria leaf spot are monitored in these studies.
On the integrated cropped winter wheat the incidence of infestation by stem base diseases, mainly caused by eye-spot disease, was found to be lower than on the conventionally cropped wheat of the same variety. However, during the first four experimental years a heavier mildew infestation was assessed on the integrated plots, thereafter significantly lower, on the average of 15%. Serious infestations by brown rust occurred only during 1983. The initial infestation level was higher on the integrated fields followed by a decrease of the leaf damage area, on average by 7%.
