Bekämpfung von Microdochium nivale (Schneeschimmel) auf Weizen mit Präparaten auf Pflanzenbasis

Snow mold, caused by the fungal pathogen Microdochium nivale, is an important seed-borne disease of various cereals and fodder plants, leading to reduced stands after emergence. No agricultural measures are known to prevent snow mold, hence, direct control measures are needed. For organic agriculture, seed dressing with plantbased products could be an alternative. In contrast to spray treatments onto the crop, the formulation and application of plant preparations onto seeds represents a greater challenge in terms of adhesion, persistence, and lasting efficacy. In the current study, three plant-based powders applied with two different seed coating materials were tested for their efficacy against MN of wheat. Both adjuvants demonstrated equally satisfying adhesion and showed no differences in terms of disease control. One of the plant-based preparations reduced in vitro the MN infestation of a naturally infected seed lot by 50%, whereas in vivo, it increased emergence of wheat seedlings by 71%

Bekämpfung von Fusarien mit antifungalen Pflanzenprodukten und deren Effekte auf den Mykotoxin-Gehalt von Weizen

Fusarium graminearum (FG) is the most prevalent Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) fungus in Switzerland. In conventional agriculture, fungicides are used to reduce the risk of FHB infection and mycotoxin contamination of wheat. As an alternative for organic wheat production, we examined plant-based products that showed antifungal effects from our previous late blight field trials. In bioassays, the effect of these antifungal plant preparations (APP) was screened against FG. In 2006 and 2008, the most active APP, Rheum palmatum, Frangula alnus and preparations of Galla chinensis as well as a plant substance (PSX), were used as FHB control agents in field trials with artificial FG infections. In both years, FG incidence and deoxynivalenol content were significantly reduced by the APP. In 2006, the reduction was in the same dimension as applications with Pronto Plus®, a fungicide mixture of tebuconazole and spiroxamine