Effect of brassica crops on stem base disease of winter wheat

Abstract

Plots of winter wheat established following a range of brassica crops on a sandy loam soil. There were significant effects of brassica type on the levels of brown foot rot on the stem base assessed by eye in March. Wheat grown after a fodder rape and a breeding line of oilseed rape however, were not correlated with the levels of phenyl glucosinolates in the roots of the preceding brassica crop.

Visual assessments at other dates did not give significant differences. Four pathogens were detected in samples throughout the season by PCR. These were Tapesia acuformis, Rhizoctania cerealis, Microdochium nivale var. nivale and M. nivale var. majus. No significant differences in the amount of these pathogens were detected among the different brassica treatments. Yields were not significantly affected by preceding brassica type.