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Agronomic and Economic Responses of Spring Wheat to Management of Fusarium Head Blight

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop losses in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota caused by Fusarium head blight (FHB) epidemics incited by Fusarium graminearum are common. Fungicide application is often recommended when environments promote disease development but benefits have not been fully evaluated when environment, cultivar resistance, and economic outcome are considered. Agronomic and economic characters were determined for cultivars with various resistance levels when treated with no fungicide; propiconazole at 63 g active ingredient (a.i.)/ha applied at Feekes growth stage (FGS) 2, tebuconazole at 126 g a.i./ha applied at FGS 10.51, or propiconazole at 63 g a.i./ha applied at FGS 2 followed by tebuconazole at 126 g a.i./ha applied at FGS 10.51. Revenue returned from FHB moderately susceptible (MS) cultivars was 8% greater than moderately resistant (MR) cultivars in low-disease environs but differences were not significant when disease was moderate. Deoxynivalenol accumulation in grain of MS and MR cultivars was unchanged by fungicide treatment. MS cultivars were economically more adventitious to grow than MR cultivars in both disease environments.