Economic Returns of Foliar Fungicides Application to Control Yellow Rust in Bread Wheat Cultivars in Arsi high lands of Ethiopia Volume 9 - Issue 3

Alemu Ayele Zerihun* and Getnet Muche Abebele

• Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Asella, Ethiopia

Received: April 21, 2021;   Published: May 17, 2021

Corresponding author: Alemu Ayele Zerihun, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Asella, Ethiopia

DOI: 10.32474/CIACR.2021.09.000317

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Abstract

Wheat yellow rust caused by Puccinic Striiformis f. sp tritici is the most widespread and destructive disease of wheat, especially in the highlands of Ethiopia. Application of foliar fungicides are important mechanisms to control wheat yellow rust disease. The activity was conducted at two experimental sites Meraro and Bekoji in 2018 main cropping season, in order to determine net returns of wheat yields from the application of fungicides. The aim of the study was to know net reruns obtained from the application of propiconazole and Thiophanate-methyl 310g/l +Epoxiconazole 187g/l fungicides with twice application frequency in four bread wheat cultivars with different resistance level, being susceptible, moderately susceptible, moderately resistant and resistant including Kubsa, Danda’a, Lemu and Wane against wheat yellow rust respectively in 2018. The positive net returns at Meraro, 12.66, 11.4, 8.39 and 7.65, and at Bekoji 12.14, 11.4, 7.92 and 5.18 on Kubsa, Lemu, Danda’a and Wane (susceptible, moderately susceptible, moderately resistant and resistant bread wheat varieties by the twice application of RexDuo respectively. Maximum net return on fungicide application was obtained on the susceptible (Kubsa) variety $1164.98 ha⁻¹ at Bekoji and $1215.13 ha⁻¹ at Meraro and minimum net returns was observed on Wane (resistant) variety $ 5.18 ha⁻¹ at Bekoji and 7.65 at Meraro experimental stations by the twice application of Rex®Duo. Epoxiconazole +Thiiophanate-methyl applied treatments were resulted the highest returns at the rate of 0.5l ha⁻¹, but low net returns were observed on propiconazole applied treatments at a rate of 0.5l ha⁻¹ at both location. From the study lower economic return at Bekoji was obtained due to dry climatic conditions which resulted in low rust severity as compared to Meraro obtained higher profitability to higher altitude with cooler climate, lower temperature, heavy dew and intermittent rains. This indicated that conducive climatic conditions to yellow rust disease development during the growing season, cultivar resistance, fungicide application frequency, plant growth stage, fungicide and fungicide application costs and the price of wheat determines the net return in fungicide application of wheat. The results from this study indicated that foliar fungicide applications to bread wheat cultivars can be profitable in twice application with sensitive to semi sensitive(moderately susceptible to susceptible)varieties; however, net loss can result if fungicides are frequently applied in with low disease severity or resistant varieties rather than sensitive and semi sensitive varieties.

Keywords: Strip rust; Bread wheat; Cultivar, Net return; Fungicide application

Abstract| Introduction| Materials And Methods| Results And Discussion| Conclusion and Recommendation| Acknowledgements| Acknowledgements|