AGRONOMIJAS VĒSTIS - Latvijas Lauksaimniecības universitāte

AGRONOMIJAS VĒSTIS (Latvian Journal of Agronomy), No.10, LLU, 2008The preceding legume crops had a positive effect on the formation of productive elements of wintertriticale ‘Tewo’, compared with their identical cultivation after timothy. The different growingconditions of triticale, i.e. from different preceding crops, had a significant effect on the occurrenceof scald, leaf rust and septoria leaf blotch.Key wordsCultivar, Triticosecale., biological properties, diseases resistance.IntroductionThe hybrid between wheat and rye, triticale (xTriticosecale Wittm.), known for its goodyield potential and amino acid composition, has started to spread. The growing of triticaleworldwide has shown that it has the yield potential of wheat and the adaptability of rye (Varugheseet al., 1996). The grain yield and quality of winter triticale are most of all affected by weatherconditions, then by cultivars and N application regimes (Alaru et al., 2004). The residues andploughed in green material of perennial grasses, as preceding crops, have a positive effect on theformation of productivity elements of the cereal crops not only in the first year but also in thesecond year, which determines the productivity of cereal link (Arlauskiene, 2000). Triticale has ahigher fungal diseases resistance than wheat. Although triticale tends to show a high degree offungal diseases resistance, some important diseases still have been observed on this crop and maycause serious economic damage. Changes in cultivars and cultural practices are thought to beresponsible for the shifts in pathogens and diseases. The genetics of resistance in the triticale hostand virulence in the pathogen populations continues to be unclear. Under the conditions ofbiological farming, which does not allow the use of chemical plant protection products, plantdiseases become a grave problem. In the years of disease epiphytoty yield losses of 30–50% occur(Conway, 1996).Winter triticale is a promising alternative feed crop in Estonia, Latvia and Poland (Alaru etal., 2003). Winter triticale should be an acceptable alternative crop possessing considerablepotential as a source of energy and protein in Lithuania too. There were sown about 56 thousand haof this crop in our country in 2002. The investigations of different winter triticale cultivars fromother countries were started in Lithuania in 1975, but till now there are no select suitable cultivarsfor the local conditions. The tasks of the experiments were to estimate the biological properties andtheir resistance to diseases of the different winter triticale cultivars from Poland and to test thefeasibility of winter triticale cultivation in western Lithuania.Materials and MethodsThe experiments were carried out in the V÷žaičiai Branch of the Lithuanian Institute ofAgriculture during the period 2001–2002 and 2004–2005. Three Polish cultivars of winter triticale:‘Tewo’, ‘Alzo’ and ‘Tornado’ were studied during the period 2001–2002 and the cultivar ‘Tewo’was studied in 2004–2005 in three different environments: there were different preceding crops ofwinter triticale ‘Tewo’: 1. Red clover ‘Vyliai’; 2. White clover ‘Sūduviai’; 3. Timothy ‘GintarasII’. All these crops were cut twice. The experimental treatments were replicated four times. Thesoil of the experimental site is albi – edohypogleyic luvisol, light loam on medium heavy loam. Thesoil agrochemical properties were the second: pH KCl 5.6–5.8, total N 0.12%, humus 1.33–4.17%,available P 2 O 5 91–384 and K 2 O 135–227 mg kg -1 . Available P 2 O 5 and K 2 O were determined by theA-L method, total nitrogen by Kjeldahl, organic carbon by a mineraliser ‘Heraeus’. The number ofgrain per ear, grain weight per ear g, 1000 grain weight g, productive stems m -2 of winter triticalewere measured. Grain samples for analyses were taken from each plot after pre-cleaning. Onethousand grain weight was determined according to ISO 580-77. The data on 1000 grain weightand yield were adjusted to 15% moinsture content. Foliar disease assessments on winter triticalewere carried out in the different growing stage of winter triticale according to the BBCH(Biologiche Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt, Chemical industry) scale (Tottman, 1987). In 2004–2005 assessments were made in BBCH 77. In each area under assessment 10 places were randomlychosen and five normally developed stems were taken per place. Three top green leaves were123