CROP MANAGEMENT EFFECTS ON FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT, FUSARIUM-DAMAGED KERNELS AND DEOXYNIVALENOL CONCENTRATION OF SPRING WHEAT.

Proper crop management is an important strategy in reducing Fusarium head blight (FHB) and deoxynivalenol (DON) concentrations in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum). A field study was conducted for three growing seasons to investigate FHB severity, Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK), and DON concentrations and their inter-relationships as affected by planting and harvesting dates and nitrogen application. Cultivar 'AC Brio' was planted on three dates at approximately 10-d intervals starting from the last week of April. Five nitrogen (N) treatments were 0, 60 and 100 kg N ha−1 applied as starter, 60 (starter) + 40 kg N ha−1 as top-dress and 60 + 40 kg N ha−1 foliar spray at boot stage. Later planting increased FDK and DON concentration and the effects were greater in coarse-textured than in a fine-textured soil. DON concentration sometimes doubled when harvest was delayed after physiological maturity. Nitrogen treatments per se had no effects on FDK and DON. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]