Impact of Fungicide Treatments on the Constitution of Unsound Wheat Kernels

Nine fungicides were applied,either through seed-dressing or post-anthesis foliar-spray,to eight winter wheat varieties to understand their influences on the constitution of unsound kernels during the 2017-2018 growth season in Funan Experimental Station,Anhui,P.R.China.Three unsound kernel items,i.e.Fusarium-damaged kernels( FDKs),black-germ kernels( BGKs) and pre-harvest sprouted kernels( PHSKs),were measured from the harvested grains.A high percentage of unsound kernels was noticed as 6.00% for FDKs,8.43% for BGKs,and 38.19% for PHSKs due to excessive precipitation during the filling and maturation stages within the season.Fungicide treatments showed positive impacts on the formation of FDKs and BGKs.No significant differences were noticed on the percentage of PHSKs among treatments.The best control efficiency on FDKs,24.63%,was observed in the treatment of‘tebuconazole + prochloraz-manganese chloride complex'.The highest control efficiency on BGKs,31.54%,was achieved by the treatment of‘phenazino-1-carboxylic acid'.Significant differences were noticed among varieties with respect to the constitution of unsound kernels.Under the specific ecological conditions,70%-75% of the final grain quality of wheat was determined by the genotype itself.It was concluded that the genetic resistance or tolerance to relevant fungal pathogens and pre-harvest sprouting was the key factor determining the constitution of unsound wheat kernels,whilst chemical control might function with limited effects when crop was grown under high-pressure or stress conditions.