The interaction between ear sprays and seed treatment for the control of Fusarium seedling blight in wheat

The results from two field trials, using four different fungicide ear sprays on inoculated mist-irrigated plots of wheat, showed that Fusarium ear blight could be controlled but the degree of control was dependant on the pathogen infecting the ears and the fungicide used. Fungicidal control of the pathogen on the car in turn affected the amount of seed infection. This in turn had an effect on subsequent seedling emergence when seeds were drilled, with or without a seed treatment, in the field. The amount of M. nivale seed infection significantly influenced the emergence of seedlings in the second year but not in the first, It was found that the higher the seed infection with M. nivale, the lower the emergence. These results show that Fusarium seedling blight of wheat can be controlled by the use of both effective fungicide ear sprays in an infected seed crop and fungicide seed treatment of infected seed.