Relationship Between Efficacy of Fusarium Head Blight Chemical Control and Deoxynivalenol Contamination on Wheat Kernels

In field experiment carried out in the 2018 growing season we tried to show the inverse relation between the efficacy of fusarium head blight (FHB) chemical control and the deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration in harvested kernels. The wheat cultivar Tbio Mestre was established under no-till in soybean residues and in winter rotation with black oats. The leaf rust and yellow spot control was performed during the vegetative stage by spraying the whole experimental area with three applications of epoxiconazole + krezoxim methyl (0.7 L/ha). The most potent fungicides metconazole + pyraclostrobin (1.0 L/ha) + mancozeb (2.0 kg/ha), prothioconazole + trifloxystrobin (0.4 L/ha) and pydiflumetofen (1.0 L/ha) were compared to control FHB. Disease incidence in spikes, incidence in spikelets, or spikes severity, grain weight and yield were evaluated. DON concentration was. Using the most efficient technology available for FHB control, the hypothesis of the inverse relationship between disease intensity occurring naturally in spikes, and deoxinivalenol (DON) concentration in the harvested grains was confirmed. DON concentration in unsprayed grains was 3,675 and in the best treatments 821 to 1,067 ppb.