Regional crown rot management – Merriwa 2016

Abstract

Key findings •• Yield loss from crown rot ranged from not significant in the barley variety Compass[PBR], durum entries 190873 and Jandaroi[PBR] and six of the bread wheat varieties, up to 19.7% in the barley variety Commander[PBR]. •• Only the bread wheat variety Beckom[PBR] was higher yielding (by 0.58 t/ha) in the presence of high levels of crown rot infection than the susceptible bread wheat variety EGA Gregory[PBR]. •• Grain protein levels were very low across the site (average 8.2%) and varied from 7.5% in LRPB Reliant[PBR] up to 8.9% in LRPB Spitfire[PBR]. Crown rot did not affect protein levels in any entry. •• Screening levels were very low across entries, but crown rot infection caused a small (0.5–1.3%), yet significant, increase in the level of screenings in the barley varieties Compass[PBR] and Commander[PBR], as well as in the bread wheat varieties Coolah[PBR] and LRPB Spitfire[PBR].