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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160097

Title: MINIMIZING SCLEROTINIA ON CANOLA, DRY PEA, SUNFLOWER, CHICKPEA, AND LENTIL USING CROP SEQUENCE AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL, 2003

Author
item Krupinsky, Joseph
item Tanaka, Donald
item Liebig, Mark
item Merrill, Stephen
item Hanson, Jonathan
item Gulya Jr, Thomas

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/31/2003
Publication Date: 1/20/2004
Citation: Krupinsky, J.M., Tanaka, D.L., Liebig, M.A., Merrill, S.D., Hanson, J.D., Gulya Jr, T.J. 2004. Minimizing sclerotinia on canola, dry pea, sunflower, chickpea, and lentil using crop sequence and biological control, 2003. Meeting Abstract. p. 27. In: Proc. of the 2004 Sclerotinia Initiative Annual Meeting. Jan. 20-22, Bloomington, MN.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effects of crop sequence, management practices, and biological control on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum disease were evaluated in three experiments in 2003. 1) A multi-disciplinary team of scientists is conducting a Crop Sequence Project, which is a multi-phased project to develop guidelines for diversified crop production systems and to provide producers with management flexibility for developing their own cropping systems and managing disease risk. The Crop Sequence Project includes a crop by crop residue matrix to evaluate the impact of previous crops (buckwheat, chickpea, corn, lentils, proso millet, grain sorghum, canola, dry pea, sunflower, and wheat) and crop residue on Sclerotinia diseases of chickpea, canola, dry pea, lentil, or sunflower. With the exception of Sclerotinia basal stalk rot on sunflower, Sclerotinia diseases were not detected because of the dry conditions in 2003. Sclerotinia basal stalk rot was present on sunflower and increased during four evaluations but because of the low number of sunflower plants infected, disease severity could not be statistically related to the crops grown in 2002. During the third and fourth evaluations of sunflower, insect/disease problems, which caused premature wilting of plants, seriously impacted the sunflower-following-sunflower plots. Evaluations will continue in 2004 on chickpea, canola, dry pea, lentil, and sunflower at another crop by crop residue matrix site. 2) The use of Coniothyrium minitans (Intercept WG®) to reduce the risk of Sclerotinia disease was evaluated. Treatments included the timing of Intercept WG® applications, tillage or no-till, the use of a non-host crop (spring wheat) for one season (2002), and the use of a sunflower indicator crop to determine the presence of Sclerotinia (2003). Because of the dry conditions and higher than average temperatures in July and August in 2003, low numbers of sunflower plants were infected with Sclerotinia basal stalk rot making it difficult to statistically relate disease levels to treatments. 3) An experiment to evaluate the combination of crop sequence and the application of Coniothyrium minitans (Intercept WG®) to reduce the risk of Sclerotinia disease was established. Treatments included the uniform application of sclerotia, the growing of susceptible and resistant crops, and varying the timing of Intercept WG® applications. Plots were evaluated for Sclerotinia, soil water, and surface soil properties in 2003, and will be evaluated again in 2004. Influence of crop sequences and management practices on development of Sclerotinia will be evaluated with an indicator crop, which will be direct seeded over the residue of the previous crops.