Changes in take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici), Rhizoctonia root rot (Rhizoctonia solani) and soil pH in continuous wheat with annual applications of nitrogenous fertiliser in Western Australia

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses that: (i) continuous cropping with wheat would lead to a decline in take-all, (ii) ammonium nitrogen would reduce take-all compared with nitrate nitrogen, and (iii) that both sources of nitrogen would lead to a decline in soil pH. Attempts were also made to confirm that rhizoctonia root rot would vary unpredictably in continuous wheat and would be reduced by nitrogen. Wheat was grown without nitrogen (Nil) or with sodium nitrate (SN) or ammonium sulfate (AS) for 11, 10 and 9 consecutive years at Newdegate, Esperance and Mount Barker respectively. Rates of nitrogen were 50, 25 and 45 kg ha-1 at Newdegate, Esperance and Mount Barker respectively. A decline in take-all incidence was established at Newdegate, and plots treated with AS generally had a lower take-all incidence than did plots without nitrogen or treated with SN. At Esperance, a decline in take-all incidence was established only in AS treated plots. Take-all incidence was lower in plots treated with AS than plots without nitrogen or treated with SN in 6 years out of 10 at Esperance. No take-all decline was observed at Mount Barker and take-all incidence was rarely lower in plots treated with AS than in those without nitrogen or treated with SN. All treatments reduced soil pH at Newdegate and Esperance, which were weakly buffered sites, but at Mount Barker (a highly buffered site) only AS reduced pH. Rhizoctonia root rot was not found at Mount Barker. At Newdegate and Esperance it first occurred in the eighth and fifth crops respectively. Incidence peaked at about 60% of plants being affected in the ninth crop at Newdegate and 95% in year 7 at Esperance, and then declined to less than 5% at both sites. Applications of nitrogen had no effect on incidence of rhizoctonia root rot. Yields varied considerably between sites and years. Combining results for all years at each site showed that AS increased yield at all sites and SN increased yields at Newdegate and Mount Barker compared with no nitrogen. The continued use of AS at Mount Barker eventually had an adverse effect on yield.