Effects of tillage methods on the occurrence of culm base disease in several winter wheat cultivars

The 1999-2001 study investigated the effect of simplified tillage methods on culm base diseases in eight winter wheat cultivars as cereal crop rotations with a yearly cereal cultivation intermission. The disease intensity was more affected by the weather over the growing season than by the tillage methods applied. A decreased rainfall over flowering and draught in June and July of 2000 decreased infection and revealed no differences between the traditional method and direct sowing. However in 1999 and 2000 an intensified culm base occurrence was recorded due to traditional soil cultivation and weather conditions were most responsible for differences in the number of fungi across the tillage methods. Wheat cultivars were most infected by Fusarium fungi, while F. culmorum and F. equiseti were most intensive whenever traditional land cultivation was applied, unlike ploughless tillage of 1999. In 2000, however, F. culmorum was more numerous when direct sowing was app.