Open AccessThe application of zinc fertilizer reduces Fusarium infection and development in wheat
Author(s) -
Muhammed Alsamir,
Esraa A.R. H. Al-Samir,
T. A. Kareem,
Mohammed H. Abass,
Richard Trethowan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australian journal of crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1835-2693
pISSN - 1835-2707
DOI - 10.21475/ajcs.20.14.07.p2235
Subject(s) - fusarium , agronomy , biology , cultivar , plant disease resistance , fertilizer , fusarium wilt , zinc , micronutrient , crown (dentistry) , horticulture , fusarium oxysporum , medicine , chemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry , dentistry , pathology , gene
Fusarium pseudograminearum and Fusarium graminearum commonly cause crown rot (FCR) and head blight (FHB) in wheat, respectively. Disease infection and spread can be reduced by the deployment of resistant cultivars or through management practices that limit inoculum load. Plants deficient in micronutrients, including zinc, tend to be more susceptible to many diseases. On the other hands, and zinc deficiency in cereals is widespread in Australian soils. Zinc deficiency may have particular relevance to crown rot, the most important and damaging Fusarium disease of wheat and barley in Australia. Four wheat genotypes; Batavia, Sunco and two lines from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) were tested for response to FHB and FCR under differing levels of Zn,1 and 2 g/kg and its correlation with disease severity. Sunco and CIMMYT line 146 were previously rated resistant to crown rot and Zn efficient. Zn application 2 g/kg soil enhanced resistance to FCR of the disease susceptible and Zn in-efficient in Batavia and 48 as its recorded 0.75 and 0.5 respectively compared to Sunco and CIMMYT line 146 as it recorded 0.2 and 0.3 respectively, but did not increase resistance to FHB. However, Zn application did enhance the resistance of Zn efficient genotypes to FHB. Results suggest that higher levels of Zn fertilization could reduce the expression of Fusarium diseases in wheat.