Efficacy of Integrated Management Strategies for Fusarium Head Blight Control in Hard Red Winter Wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a disease that threatens wheat production globally, and there is an important need to understand how fungicides combined with genetic resistance improve management, particularly in the hard red winter wheat growing region of the United States. To evaluate this, a field study was conducted across four years in two locations per year. The objectives were to compare the efficacy of Miravis Ace (13.7% pydiflumetofen + 11.4% propiconazole) with the industry-standard product Prosaro (19% prothioconazole + 19% tebuconazole) at two wheat growth stages (Feekes 10.3 and Feekes 10.5.1) in Kansas when combined with three levels of genetic resistance (moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, and susceptible). The highest level of FHB control was observed when the moderately resistant cultivar was combined with the Miravis Ace treatment at anthesis (Feekes 10.5.1), with a 98.7% reduction in visual FHB index and 93% reduction in the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol. The moderately resistant cultivar alone (no fungicide) was more effective in controlling FHB than applying any fungicide treatment to a susceptible cultivar, underscoring the value of genetic resistance. The highest mean yield improvement (compared with the non-treated, susceptible control) was observed when the moderately resistant variety was treated with Miravis Ace at anthesis (2,090.53 kg ha^-1), and the lowest was observed when the susceptible variety was treated with Prosaro (638.64 kg ha^-1). At these locations, we also observed a trend of higher FHB intensity with cooler average daily temperatures (between 18 and 21°C) and higher average relative humidity. Results from this study highlight the improved efficacy of Miravis Ace and the value of integrating fungicide applications with genetic resistance for FHB management.