Foliar disease control in field pea in southern Brazil

Non-Peer ReviewedThe introduction of field pea into the crop rotation in southern Brazil would diversify production and increase sustainability of the system. One of the main obstacles to field pea production in southern Brazil is the occurrence of foliar diseases. The objective of this project was to determine if field pea production potential could be maintained by application of fungicides during crop development to reduce the severity of diseases of field pea, particularly mycosphaerella blight and anthracnose. The study demonstrated that fungicide application effectively reduced severity of symptoms and maintained yield and quality. The single application of two combined active ingredients (pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole) appeared to result in a synergy that proved to be the most effective treatment evaluated. Therefore, the use of fungicides with other integrated pest management practices such as early seeding and choice of a disease tolerant or less susceptible cultivar should help to maintain yield and quality of field pea in southern Brazil