The conditions this year during the rapeseed flowering period were good for the development of heart rot. However, it appeared in the fields in moderate intensity. This does not mean that its importance is decreasing. Every year it poses a major threat to rapeseed yields.
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Many agrotechnical methods can be used to reduce its harmfulness, including appropriate crop rotation and careful destruction of crop residues, where pathogenic organisms capable of burning crops in the next growing season may occur. Breeding works are also aimed at introducing into agricultural practice varieties resistant to this pathogen. Varieties that are more tolerant to infection have already appeared in the seed market.
– Before the next sowing of rapeseed, it is recommended to use non-chemical agents to reduce the occurrence of heart rot – inform phytopathologists from IOR-PIB in Poznań.
Biological remedies for sclerotia
It is also worth being aware that there are several biological methods that limit the development of this disease.
It is recommended to use a product containing the hyperparasitic fungus Coniothyrium minitans before or during sowing of rapeseed.
It is isolated from the soil, which has a selective effect and when applied to the soil, it affects the spores (scleroti) of fungi of the Sclerotinia genus, causing their destruction and disintegration. The available agent called Lalstop Contans WG is recommended to be used at a dose of 2.0 kg/ha before sowing winter rapeseed. After spraying the protected surface, mix the soil to a depth of approximately 5-10 cm.
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Products containing fungi of the genus Trichoderma (e.g. Trichoderma asperellum, strain T34) also have a similar effect. The agent is used preventively and protects crop plants against soil pathogens, including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Fusarium spp., due to the ability of its active substance to colonize the substrate and the root zone of plants. The agent limits the occurrence of pathogens because Trichoderma asperellum directly competes for space in the root zone of plants and nutrients, and can also parasitize on plant-pathogenic fungi. The active substance develops in the soil at temperatures from 10 to 25°C and at a pH of 5-9. After applying the agent, there are no restrictions on plant rotation. The Xilon preparation containing this strain can be used preventively during sowing (BBCH 00), at the bottom of an open furrow, using a granule applicator mounted on a seeder or seeding unit, or by spraying the soil immediately before sowing and then mechanically introducing it into the soil.
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Biological protection within the ecosystem
It is also worth adding that both preparations supporting the reduction of heart rot are registered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This means that they will be included in the ecoscheme: Biological protection of crops. For implementation in 2023. With this requirement, the farmer could receive approximately PLN 419/ha. A condition for compliance with these requirements
The treatment should be carried out in accordance with the requirements contained in the label. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the farmer is obliged to:
- keep a register of agrotechnical treatments on a form developed by the Agency and available on its website,
- and provide ARiMR with an extract from this register, confirming the treatment with a biological plant protection product, and submit to the Agency a personal document confirming the purchase of a plant protection product, or another personal document confirming its purchase, which indicates which plant protection product was purchased and its quantity, by September 30 of the year in which he submitted the application for payment.
