Skip to content

Intensive vs. regular management performance trials: fungicide/variety interactions in winter wheat, spring wheat, barley and oat

Principal Investigator

Ellen Sparry

Research Institution

Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC)

External Funding Partners

Various industry partners

Project Start

January 2016

Project End

December 2018

Objectives

  • Determine the influence of fungicides on rankings and performance of varieties in the winter wheat, spring wheat, barley and oat Ontario Performance Trials.

Impact

  • The provision of independent data regarding the relative tolerance of cereal varieties to a range of fungal leaf and head diseases, with and without the use of foliar fungicide, will assist all growers in selecting varieties best suited to their growing conditions and management practices.

Scientific Summary

The Ontario Cereal Crop Committee (OCCC) conducts variety performance trials to determine the genetic potential and adaptation of cereal varieties in Ontario. Historically, cereal performance trials were conducted without the use of foliar fungicides. In 2015, the OCCC adopted the use of foliar fungicide as a standard practice to emulate farm conditions as many growers routinely use fungicides to achieve higher yields and better quality grains. Nevertheless, there continues to be a need for trials that assess variety performance both with foliar fungicide and without to assist all growers in selecting varieties best suited to their growing conditions and management practices. Plots will be rated for all agronomic and disease parameters normally part of the OCCC Protocol (available at www.gocereals.ca). Results will be reported in the public OCCC Performance Trials Report in a format allowing comparison of relative variety performance under each management system.

Next: