Strategies for controlling seed-borne diseases in cereals and possibilities for reducing fungiside seed treatments

Summary

In the short term there is no useful alternative to chemical seed treatment for controlling the important seed-borne diseases in cereals. The only way to secure high quality seed is by discarding seed lots which have more than a specified level of disease. Without any other effective control measure than seed treatment large quantities of cereal seeds would be expected to be discarded. Another reduction model might be a differentiated use of seed treatments in the different certified seed generations. An important condition for the models is a representative seed test which for the moment only is possible in spring cereals. The threshold levels for the different diseases should under these circumstances be re-evaluated. In the long term other measurements may be possible. Investigations have begun on variety resistance to demonstrate effective genetic resistance against leaf stripe and common bunt, but for the moment only little is known on the distribution of resistance in modern Danish varieties. Other possibilities may be microbiological products and non-chemical methods but also here further investigation is required