Studies on the germination and field establishment of Summit wheat

Abstract

Poor field emergence of the wheat cultivar Summit was reported in the Wimmera Region of Victoria after its release to farmers in 1966. In field and laboratory experiments the emergence of Summit was reduced when seed was stored for long periods after being treated with normal rates of a phenyl mercury acetate fungicide commonly used for control of covered smut or common bunt of wheat. A shorter period of storage with higher rates also seriously reduced emergence. Several other fungicides were shown to have varying effects on the emergence of the cultivar and one of these, maneb, gave satisfactory control of bunt. The greater susceptibility of Summit to phenyl mercury acetate demonstrated in these experiments was not associated with the degree of seed coat damage.