Wheat septoria: causes and symptoms, how to get rid of and prevention

Fungal diseases of cereal crops are ubiquitous. Favorable regions for the spread of wheat septoria are with a moderately mild and humid climate. Consider the causes and symptoms of the disease, how to determine the disease by the appearance of plants, how harmful the pathogen and the disease are. Preparations and methods of treatment of septoria and preventive measures.

Causes and symptoms of the disease

Septoria causes the greatest harm in the Central region of Russia. The disease negatively affects the development of cereals, there is a decrease in the assimilation surface of the leaves, the ear develops poorly, the grains ripen prematurely.Crops of winter and spring wheat bush more intensively, the ears grow short, with a small number of grains. Yield shortfalls could be up to a third of what he althy plants can produce.

The causative agent of septoria is a fungus of the species Septoria tritici. The mycelium infects leaves, stems of cereals, is characterized by the formation of spots, first light yellow and brownish in color with dark edges and black patches of spores. Affected leaves lighten, lose their green color and begin to dry out. The stems turn brown, wrinkle and bend down, spores are almost not formed on them.

Septoria tritici affects only wheat from cereals. The fungus gets on plants from the remains - stubble and straw that remain in the field, infected cereal grasses and seeds. Diseased seeds produce diseased plants. Spores spread most when there is fog and rain.

They germinate in droplets of moisture at a temperature of 9-28 °C.They develop fastest at 20-22 °C. Spores are able to germinate at air humidity above 76%. The incubation period lasts 6-9 days. During the growing season of wheat, several generations of fungi can develop. In hot, dry air, spores can be viable for 3 months or more.

Early winter and late spring crops are more affected by septoria than those sown on time. When applying mineral fertilizers with the main elements, the plants become more resistant to the disease, the application of nitrogen alone reduces the resistance.

Pathogen harmfulness

On leaves affected by septoria due to spots of the fungus, the photosynthetic area decreases, and therefore the synthesis of useful substances decreases.In diseased plants in the ear, the number of grains and their weight decrease. Darkening of the embryo may be observed. Septoria leads to a shortage of crops and incurs economic losses for enterprises.

How to get rid of septoria

Spores of the fungus can be destroyed by dressing the seeds before sowing, the preparations protect wheat during sowing and germination from pathogens that are on the surface of the grains and in the soil. Treaters "Tir", "Attik", "Armor 3", "Dividend Extreme" are used.

When signs of disease are detected, crops are treated with Alto Super, Amistar Trio, Titan, Abacus, Tsimus Progress, Impact Exclusive. Biological pesticides "Rizoplan", "Gliocladin", "Alirin-B" are also used.If the fungus is found on the emerging grain, then it is necessary to carry out processing at the heading-flowering stage.

Prevention measures

You can prevent the appearance of septoria on wheat crops by using he althy seeds or treated with a disinfectant. Sow the seeds on time, not too early and not too late. Observe crop rotation, sow wheat after predecessors, on the remains of which fungus spores cannot remain.

You need to choose disease-resistant crop varieties that are less susceptible to fungal infection than conventional ones. The application of mineral fertilizers increases the resistance of wheat, they supply the plants with nutrients that are necessary for normal development.

In order to prevent infection of seeds with a fungus, you need to harvest the grain on time and dry it. In autumn, stubble stubble should be carried out and the soil should be plowed deep to destroy as much plant debris as possible, infected with fungi.

Septoria wheat affects leaf blades of cereals, which worsens the condition of plants. Spikelets, grain and, ultimately, the harvest also suffer. The shortage of grain can be up to a third of the planned harvest. The disease spreads in warm, humid weather; spores require droplets or air moisture to germinate. Heat and dry air stop the development of the pathogen.

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