The influence of the spraying pressure of an injector asymmetric double nozzle with variable flow on head fungicide coverage, yield, grain quality, and deoxynivalenol content in winter wheat

Abstract

Spraying parameters are important factors when spraying wheat heads against fusarium head blight (FHB) to control the deoxynivalenol level in the grain and to obtain high and quality yields. In 2019 and 2020, field trials were conducted in order to establish the effect of the spraying pressure (2 bar, 4 bar, and 6 bar) of special nozzles with a variable flow rate Agrotop VR 1.5 on the head fungicide coverage, yield parameters, and the deoxynivalenol (DON) value in the grain. The coverage of the front and rear sides of wheat heads increased with the increase of spraying pressure from 2 to 6 bar. In 2019, when the infection with FHB was more severe, no significant differences appeared in the yield and the hectoliter weight at a lower spraying pressure, while the DON value at this pressure approached the maximum permissible level. In that year, the DON value exponentially fell with the increase of spraying pressure. In 2019, the thousand grain weight was higher at the spraying pressure of 6 bar than at the pressures of 2 and 4 bar. The results show that also a lower spraying pressure (2 bar) and a volume application rate (117 L/ha) below the recommended one suffice to retain the DON value in the grain below the maximum permissible level, even in years with more severe infection.