Effectiveness of different fungicide formulations and number of applications in controlling wheat leaf rust

ABSTRACT Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) is one of the most common diseases in wheat crops. For effective control of such disease, leaf application of mixtures of triazole and strobilurin fungicides is recommended. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different fungicide formulations and numbers of applications in controlling wheat leaf rust in the cultivar TBIO Pioneiro 2010. Experimental design was completely randomized, 2x2 factorial arrangement, consisting of two fungicide formulations and two numbers of applications, as well as four replicates. Treatments were: azoxystrobin + tebuconazole, three and four applications; trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole, three and four applications; and a control treatment without fungicide application. For treatments with three applications, fungicides were applied at the phenological stages of: elongation, booting and flowering. For treatments with four applications, fungicides were applied at the phenological stages of: tillering, elongation, booting and flowering. The efficiency of fungicides on leaf rust control was analyzed based on the disease severity assessment by calculating the Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). Severity data were obtained based on percentage scores of leaf area with visible disease symptoms/signs according to Cobb’s diagrammatic scale. Fungicides with azoxystrobin + tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole showed efficient control of wheat leaf rust (higher than 85%). For yield components, there was no statistical difference between numbers of applications, but there was a statistical difference between fungicide formulations, except for grain yield. Furthermore, for yield components, all fungicide treatments significantly differed from control.