Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) of wheat: Role of host resistance, wheat aphids, insecticide and strobilurin fungicide in disease control in Punjab, India

Abstract

FHB of wheat is a serious regional problem in Punjab. An outstanding bread wheat line RP-1/10 and three durum lines viz; WH 896, HD 4715 and MPO 1192-resistant to FHB have been identified. Aphids are important insect-pests in wheat and the FHB severity can be significantly reduced by more than 30%, by controlling these aphids by the application of Monocrotophos (insecticide) at boot + heading or at heading alone. A single application of Monocrotophos @ 0.1% followed 72h later by Tilt@0.1% at heading significantly improved FHB control and grain yield. The strobilurin fungicide-Amistar@ 0.1%, applied as a single spray at heading, was the best treatment in reducing FHB severity and improving grain yield. The efficacy of the fungicide was much higher in bread wheat compared to durum wheat. The results suggest that wheat aphids are important in FHB development and their management through insecticide in combination with fungicide can reduce FHB and improve grain yield.