Fungicide applications are a vital component for the integrated management of Fusarium head blight (FHB) on hard red spring wheat (HRSW) in North Dakota (ND). Updating fungicide data pertaining to FHB efficacy and agronomic response is needed to address the needs of HRSW growers and ag professionals in ND. Four HRSW UFT were conducted to compare the timing and efficacy of fungicide premixes on reducing FHB, reducing deoxynivalenol (DON), protecting yield, and protecting test weight. Research sites were established at the Langdon Research and Extension Center (Langdon; mist irrigated) and North Dakota State University (Fargo; dryland). Field experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. All plots were sown with a susceptible HRSW cultivar that was also grown on wide acreage in ND. Treatments evaluated included a non-treated control (NTC), Prosaro® (prothioconazole + tebuconazole), Caramba® (metconazole), Miravis Ace® (propiconazole + pydiflumetofen), Prosaro Pro® (prothioconazole + tebuconazole + fluopyram), Sphaerex® (metconazole + prothioconazole), and Folicur® (tebuconazole). Fungicide timings included Feekes 10.51 (early-anthesis), and 3 to 7 days after Feekes 10.51, or sequential applications of both timings. Three of the four HRSW trials developed moderate to high levels of disease and data was combined for analysis. Prior to analysis, FHB and DON suppression values were developed (percent reduction to NTC) and yield and test weight response values were developed (percent response compared to NTC). A very high level of FHB (74 to 97%) and DON (52 to 85%) suppression was achieved with the fungicide treatments. Sequential applications tended to provide the greatest reduction in both FHB and DON. However, some single application treatments were similar to sequential applications suggesting growers can rely on one well-timed fungicide. All fungicides protected both yield and test weight. The two recently labeled fungicide premixes of Prosaro Pro and Sphaerex at either early-anthesis or 3 to 7 days after early-anthesis provided similar to sometimes better control than the industry standards of Prosaro, Caramba, and Miravis Ace.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND DISCLAIMER
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 59-0206-2-124. This is cooperative project with the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.