Abstract
The selection of a proper variety is one of the main factors influencing the quantity and quality of cereal grain yield in organic agriculture. The aim of the study was to determine the suitability of 13 varieties of spring wheat for cultivation in organic farming according to their competitive potential against weeds, susceptibility to fungal diseases and grain yield. Due to the large share of cereals in organic farms both in Poland and in Europe, the research results could be applied by organic farming system farmers and advisors. High-yielding varieties in the organic system were: KWS Torridon, Kandela, Arabella, Zadra and Waluta. The KWS Torridon and Kandela varieties were resistant to fungal pathogens infestation, while Brawura, Izera, Korynta and Ostka Smolicka showed the highest infestation rate. Ethos variety yields were the lowest due to its low plant density, with a high weed infestation rate. The wheat yields proved to be significantly correlated with plant density and the thousand grain weight, but no significant negative effects of weed infestation and pathogen infestation were found. A synthesis of the three-year results showed that the varieties most useful for organic farming were: Arabella, KWS Torridon, Kandela, Katoda, Waluta and Zadra.
Highlights
Wheat is the basic consumer cereal grown in Poland and Europe [1,2]
Spring wheat is more popular among polish organic farmers than winter wheat as it is less susceptible to frost damage and have a lower pressure from yield-reducing factors [4,5,6]
In the organic farming system, the use of chemicals is forbidden, nonchemical methods of weed, disease and pest controls are important to achieve a high yield of good quality [6,37]
Summary
Wheat is the basic consumer cereal grown in Poland and Europe [1,2]. In Europe, the cultivation area of spring form of wheat is lower than its winter form [2], which is mainly a result of the latter’s lower yield [3]. Spring wheat is more popular among polish organic farmers than winter wheat as it is less susceptible to frost damage and have a lower pressure from yield-reducing factors (pathogens, pests and weeds) [4,5,6]. The choice of cereal varieties suited to the specific conditions of organic agriculture requires a different approach to that used in the conventional, high input system [6,9,10]
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