Key Points
- Eight fungicide treatments were evaluated and all significantly (P<0.001) improved germination compared to untreated control plots that averaged 61% germination.
- Proline and Proline followed by (fb) Carbendazim resulted in the highest germinations (82 and 84% respectively), although several other fungicides were not significantly different from these high germinations.
- Crop canopy architecture is strongly linked to the incidence of blind seed disease. A crop mass-height index (combining mass, tiller numbers and stem length) was highly correlated to germination, with low mass, low tiller number and short crops having reduced germination and high blind seed levels.
- The use of the plant growth regulator Moddus is indirectly associated with reduced germinations through increased incidence of blind seed disease as the crops are shorter and more open at flowering.
- Blind seed disease can be managed by a combination of canopy management and the use of foliar fungicides.