Effect of Alternaria and Septoria spot on sunflower yield

Leaf diseases affect crop yields. In sunflower crops, leaf spot severity can reach 100%, but the magnitude of the yield loss caused by the disease is not known. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Alternaria and Septoria leaf spot severity on sunflower yield across different years in a humid subtropical climate. We conducted 37 experiments in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, over 7 years. The hybrids Embrapa 122, Helio 358, Aguará 03, and Altis 99 were sowed and managed according to national crop recommendations. Severity assessments for Alternaria and Septoria spots were performed at 2- to 7-day intervals using a diagrammatic scale. We evaluated the effects of Alternaria and Septoria leaf spot severity on crop yield using upper limit graphs. The 37 experiments comprised 13 normal season crops (August to October) and 24 late season crops (November to February). The results were also classified according to the contemporaneous phases of the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation): El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral. In normal season crops, severities of up to 24% do not result in yield decrease. After this, each 1% increment in disease severity produces a decrease of 66 kg ha−1 on sunflower yield. In late season crops, the reduction in productivity occurs at severities greater than 34%, with a decrease of 50 kg ha−1 for each 1% increase in combined disease severity. The highest severity values and lowest yields, both in the normal and late season crops, occurred in El Niño years.