THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN-FERTILIZER AND IRRIGATION ON BLACK POINT INCIDENCE IN SOFT WHITE SPRING WHEAT

Agronomic studies were conducted to examine the effect of fertilizer N on black point incidence in Fielder soft white spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.). Black point incidence rose with increases in the amount of N supplied either as fertilizer applied during the growing season in irrigation water or as soil N, specifically nitrate, from fertilizer N application in previous years. A comparison of four different irrigation regimes demonstrated that black point incidence was highest under frequent irrigation (irrigate to field capacity at 75% available moisture) and lowest under conventional irrigation (irrigate to field capacity at 50% available soil moisture). In each irrigation regime, disease incidence increased as N rates were raised from 0 to 120 kg ha-1. A residual fertilizer-N study demonstrated in 1985 and 1986 that black point incidence generally rose with increasing levels of nitrogen from either preplant applications in the spring or soil nitrate from the previous year. However, additions of fertilizer N were shown to slightly reduce black point incidence at soil nitrate levels above 150 kg ha-1. A two-year fertilizer N study demonstrated that in treatments receiving the same amount (90 kg ha-1). of fertilizer N, the amount broadcast as a preplant treatment versus the amount applied in irrigation water in a fertigation treatment had no effect on black point incidence, but all fertilized treatments had significantly higher levels of disease than the unfertilized check.