Yielding and Selected Leaf Diseases of Old Winter Wheat Cultivars in the Organic System

Summary

Intensity of leaf infestation by selected fungal pathogens and yielding of old winter wheat cultivars (Ostka Kazimierska, Kujawianka Więcławicka, Wysokolitewka Sztywnosłoma) against a background of modern winter wheat cultivars (Kobra, Roma, Korweta, Sukces, Zyta, Mewa) in conditions of organic farming was assessed. The research was based on a special field experiment established in 1994 year on a grey-brown podzolic soil in which different crop production systems are compared. The research was conducted in 2005 and 2006. Average for 2 years grain yield of winter wheat for all cultivars amounted to 3.0 t/ha. In both years the largest yields were noted for modern winter wheat cultivars. Old cultivars of wheat reacted better on water deficiency than modern ones. The yield decrease for all cultivars was mainly affected by low level of resistance on fungal pathogens responsible for leaf diseases. Only in 2005 leaves of old cultivars were more than modern cultivars infested by fungal diseases.