Resistance Breeding Increases Winter Wheat Gross Margins–An Economic Assessment for Germany

Improved wheat varieties have ameliorated our food production. Intensive cropping systems, as in Germany, achieve very high grain yields and thus contribute greatly to global food security. As diseases, especially fungal pathogens, pose major threats in winter wheat production, disease management is crucial to uphold high production levels and to avoid economic losses. Yet, the economic value of breeding varieties with increased resistance to fungal pathogens has not been analyzed with comprehensive data. Our analysis fills this gap by quantifying the economic effects of 50 years of resistance breeding for winter wheat production in Germany. Based on field trials and agronomic production data, we analyze how resistances have influenced the economic profitability of the crops. Thereby, we can isolate the pure breeding-induced effects of increased resistance to fungal pathogens, which cause leaf and stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight. We calculated the gross margins of 176 varieties according to nitrogen and fungicide applications in field trials. Regression models show that resistance breeding had a strong positive and statistically significant effect on the gross margins of the varieties. In comparison, the specific meta-environment of the season had a larger effect, while the effect of high nitrogen as well as fungicide treatments was lower. The gross margin increased over time along with higher resistances. Simultaneously, the difference in gross margins between the fungicide-treated and untreated variants decreased, indicating an increased contribution of resistances to yield stability. Resistances have increased gross margins greatly, as the health levels of varieties remain high without the need for fungicide applications and thus production costs can be saved. We conclude that resistance breeding has increased the economic profitability and sustainability of crop production due to a reduction in the costs for fungicides. In fields of farmers, these positive effects of resistance breeding can be fully realized by an optimal variety choice and a variety- and situation-specific disease management. Such an agronomic practice would not only further improve winter wheat gross margins but also mitigate some of the pressures on agricultural productions, such as reduced disease management options and adverse climate change impacts.

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Management Options for Organic Winter Wheat Production under Climate Change

Organic farming ◽

10.12924/of2016.02010001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ralf Bloch ◽

Jürgen Heß ◽

Johann Bachinger

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Winter Wheat ◽

Management Options ◽

Wheat Production

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Breeding progress for pathogen resistance is a second major driver for yield increase in German winter wheat at contrasting N levels

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77200-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Holger Zetzsche ◽

Wolfgang Friedt ◽

Frank Ordon

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Fungal Pathogens ◽

Large Scale ◽

Pathogen Resistance ◽

Wheat Breeding ◽

Yield Potential ◽

Head Blight ◽

Wheat Production ◽

Over Time

AbstractBreeding has substantially increased the genetic yield potential, but fungal pathogens are still major constraints for wheat production. Therefore, breeding success for resistance and its impact on yield were analyzed on a large panel of winter wheat cultivars, representing breeding progress in Germany during the last decades, in large scale field trials under different fungicide and nitrogen treatments. Results revealed a highly significant effect of genotype (G) and year (Y) on resistances and G × Y interactions were significant for all pathogens tested, i.e. leaf rust, strip rust, powdery mildew and Fusarium head blight. N-fertilization significantly increased the susceptibility to biotrophic and hemibiotrophic pathogens. Resistance was significantly improved over time but at different rates for the pathogens. Although the average progress of resistance against each pathogen was higher at the elevated N level in absolute terms, it was very similar at both N levels on a relative basis. Grain yield was increased significantly over time under all treatments but was considerably higher without fungicides particularly at high N-input. Our results strongly indicate that wheat breeding resulted in a substantial increase of grain yield along with a constant improvement of resistance to fungal pathogens, thereby contributing to an environment-friendly and sustainable wheat production.

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Mapping quantitative trait loci for pre-harvest sprouting resistance in white-grained winter wheat line CA 0431

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp13102 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (6) ◽

pp. 573 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

X. L. Miao ◽

Y. J. Zhang ◽

X. C. Xia ◽

Z. H. He ◽

Y. Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Trait Loci ◽

Winter Wheat ◽

Quantitative Trait ◽

Interval Mapping ◽

Field Trials ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Phenotypic Variance ◽

Wheat Line ◽

F2 Population ◽

Trait Loci

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in wheat severely reduces yield and end-use quality, resulting in substantial economic losses. The Chinese winter wheat line CA 0431, with white grain, showed high PHS resistance for many years. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of PHS resistance in this line, 220 F2 plants and the corresponding F2 : 3 lines derived from a cross between CA 0431 and the PHS-susceptible cultivar Zhongyou 206 were used for PHS testing and QTL analysis. Field trials were conducted in Beijing during the 2010–11 and 2011–12 cropping seasons, and in Anyang during 2011–12. PHS resistance was evaluated by assessing the sprouting responses of intact spikes. In total, 1444 molecular markers were used to screen the parents, and 31 markers with polymorphisms between the resistant and susceptible bulks were used to genotype the entire F2 population. Broad-sense heritability of sprouting rate was 0.71 across environments. Inclusive composite interval mapping identified four QTLs, QPhs.caas-2BL, QPhs.caas-3AS.1, QPhs.caas-3AS.2, and QPhs.caas-3AL, each explaining 2.8–27.7% of the phenotypic variance across environments. The QTLs QPhs.caas-3AS.1, QPhs.caas-3AS.2, and QPhs.caas-3AL were located at similar positions to QTLs reported previously, whereas QPhs.caas-2BL is likely a new QTL flanked by markers Xbarc1042 and Xmag3319. Line CA 0431 and the identified markers can be used in breeding programs targeting improvement of PHS resistance for white-kernel wheat.

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Seed-Borne Fungal Diseases of Maize (Zea mays L.): A Review

AGRINULA: Jurnal Agroteknologi dan Perkebunan ◽

10.36490/agri.v4i1.123 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 43-60

Author(s):

Fazal Ur Rehman ◽

Muhammad Adnan ◽

Maria Kalsoom ◽

Nageen Naz ◽

Muhammad Ghayoor Husnain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zea Mays ◽

Fungal Pathogens ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Macrophomina Phaseolina ◽

Fungal Diseases ◽

Production Costs ◽

Leaf Spot Disease ◽

Colletotrichum Graminicola ◽

Management Options ◽

Blight Disease

Introduction: Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important cereal crops. It is ranked as 3rd after wheat and rice. Due to its wide adaptability, diversified uses, and low production costs, it has great potential as a cereal crop. In the case of yield losses, various factors are involved. The fungal diseases of maize play a significant role in the reduction of both quantity as well as the quality of maize. Review Results: At the seedling stage, maize suffers from numerous diseases and many of them are seed-borne diseases. Anthracnose stalk rot (Colletotrichum graminicola), Charcoal rot of maize (Macrophomina phaseolina), Crazy top downy mildew disease (Sclerophthora macrospora), Corn grey leaf spot disease (Cercospora zeae-maydis), Aspergillus ear and kernel rot (Aspergillus flavus), Corn smut (Ustilago maydis), Southern corn leaf blight disease (Bipolaris maydis) etc. are important among these diseases.Chemical control of seed-borne pathogens of maize is rather difficult to achieve as a reasonably good. Due to the hazardous environmental effects of chemicals, the Integrated Management of the seed-borne fungal pathogens of corn is mostly preferred. The distribution, disease cycle, symptoms of the damage, effects of environmental factors, economical importance of disease, and integrated disease management options of major seed-borne fungal pathogens of maize have been reviewed in this review article from various currently available sources.

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The water-saving potential of using micro-sprinkling irrigation for winter wheat production on the North China Plain

Journal of Integrative Agriculture ◽

10.1016/s2095-3119(20)63326-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (6) ◽

pp. 1687-1700

Author(s):

Li-chao ZHAI ◽

Li-hua LÜ ◽

Zhi-qiang DONG ◽

Li-hua ZHANG ◽

Jing-ting ZHANG ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

North China Plain ◽

North China ◽

Water Saving ◽

Wheat Production ◽

The North ◽

The North China Plain

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Separate and combined Hanseniaspora uvarum and Metschnikowia pulcherrima metabolic volatiles are attractive to Drosophila suzukii in the laboratory and field

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79691-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

R. Jones ◽

M. T. Fountain ◽

C. S. Günther ◽

P. E. Eady ◽

M. R. Goddard

Keyword(s):

Yeast Species ◽

Field Trapping ◽

Field Trials ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Control Efficacy ◽

Hanseniaspora Uvarum ◽

Metschnikowia Pulcherrima ◽

Rich Diversity ◽

Relative Attractiveness

AbstractDrosophila suzukii flies cause economic losses to fruit crops globally. Previous work shows various Drosophila species are attracted to volatile metabolites produced by individual fruit associated yeast isolates, but fruits naturally harbour a rich diversity of yeast species. Here, we report the relative attractiveness of D. suzukii to yeasts presented individually or in combinations using laboratory preference tests and field trapping data. Laboratory trials revealed four of 12 single yeast isolates were attractive to D. suzukii, of which Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Hanseniaspora uvarum were also attractive in field trials. Four out of 10 yeast combinations involving Candida zemplinina, Pichia pijperi, M. pulcherrima and H. uvarum were attractive in the laboratory. Whilst a combination of M. pulcherrima + H. uvarum trapped the greatest number of D. suzukii in the field, the efficacy of the M. pulcherrima + H. uvarum combination to trap D. suzukii was not significantly greater than traps primed with volatiles from only H. uvarum. While volatiles from isolates of M. pulcherrima and H. uvarum show promise as baits for D. suzukii, further research is needed to ascertain how and why flies are attracted to certain baits to optimise control efficacy.

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Agro-Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crop Management Options for Teff Production in Midland Agro-Ecology, Ethiopia

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11040298 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 298

Author(s):

Fekremariam Asargew Mihretie ◽

Atsushi Tsunekawa ◽

Nigussie Haregeweyn ◽

Enyew Adgo ◽

Mitsuru Tsubo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Early Stage ◽

Crop Management ◽

Production Costs ◽

Agronomic Performance ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Management Options ◽

Area Index ◽

Weed Population

Teff is an important crop for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. Improved crop management practices are needed to increase teff productivity and decrease production costs. Here, we used a split–split plot design to evaluate the impacts of different tillage, sowing, and soil compaction practices, and their combinations, on agronomic performance, weed population, lodging, and cost in teff production at the Aba Gerima watershed in northwestern Ethiopia in 2018–2020. Reduced tillage (RT) improved soil moisture, resulting in increased agronomic performance and decreased production costs compared with conventional tillage (CT); however, the weed population was substantially larger with RT than with CT. Row planting (RP) reduced seed cost and lodging but increased sowing and weeding costs compared with broadcast planting (BP). Plant population and leaf area index were substantially greater with BP than with RP during early-stage growth, but this reversed during late-stage growth. Despite labor costs being significantly greater with (WC) compaction than without (NC), little to no differences were observed in the weed population or in agronomic performance. Partial cost–benefit analysis revealed that RT–RP–WC followed by RT–RP–NC was the most economical treatment combination, suggesting that RT–RP–NC could be a labor-effective means of increasing teff production by smallholder farms in Ethiopia.

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