HveteLøft; variety-adapted fungal disease control in wheat for increased yields under IPM-strategies

Main objective:
Increase knowledge of disease-related yield losses in different wheat varieties based on their susceptibility to diseases.

Sub-objectives:

1. Document the relationships between fungal infection, control measures, yield losses, and economics in different food and feed wheat varieties, based on results from field trials in Norway over the past 10–15 years.
2. Update recommendations for integrated fungal disease control strategies that ensure stable yields, quality, and profitability, based on varietal susceptibility to leaf spot diseases, powdery mildew, and yellow rust.
3. Establish a knowledge base for a future project aimed at developing robust and profitable plant protection strategies in collaboration with industry partners (e.g. NLR, Graminor).

Advisors and farmers will be better able to tailor fungal disease control strategies based on the susceptibility levels of individual varieties. This will help ensure stable yields, quality, and profitability. Furthermore, it will contribute to a more sustainable use of fungicides, as well as improved IPM strategies.

The developed tool can easily be combined with forecasting models that will be available to all on vips-landbruk.no. The tool can also be used in future research projects to develop thresholds and techniques for precision spraying against fungal diseases in wheat.