Abstract

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Wheat is one of Ethiopia’s most important cereal crops in terms of the area of land allocated, volume produced and the number of farmers engaged in its production. However, the production and productivity of wheat is curtailed by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Among the biotic stresses, wheat yellow rust and stem rust diseases caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici and Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici, respectively are the most feared and wheat production bottlenecks. Field experiment was conducted to verify and evaluate the efficacy of fungicides against wheat rust diseases and recommend for registration. It was conducted at three yellow rust and stem rust hot spot locations, Sinana on-station, Sinana on-farm and Agarfa districts of Bale in 2015 main cropping season. Five different fungicides including the standard check and unsprayed plot were used as a treatment. The experiment was laid out in non-replicated plots at three locations where locations were considered as replica. Fungicide spray treatments significantly reduced both yellow rust and stem rust diseases severity to the lowest level possible over the nil application. However, there was no statistically significant difference (p ≤ 5%) between the test and check fungicides in reducing both yellow rust and stem rust diseases severity. Test fungicides revealed comparable and better level of efficacy on both yellow rust and stem rust diseases severity reduction compared to the standard check. There is highly significant difference (p ≤ 5%) in biomass yield, grain yield and thousand kernel weight between fungicide treatments and nil application of fungicide. The highest grain yield was obtained from KENCOVE sprayed plots while the lowest from nil application. Newly tested fungicides revealed better grain yield advantage than the standard check fungicide. All fungicide treatments also revealed significant yield advantage than untreated plots. The newly verified fungicides are found to be very effective in controlling both yellow rust and stem rust diseases of wheat and are recommended for registration to control wheat rust diseases (yellow rust and stem rust) as sole or integrated disease management options.

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