SOME EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND NITROGEN SUPPLY ON WHEAT POWDERY MILDEW

The wheat variety Red Standard was more susceptible to infection by Erysiphe graminis at 14–20° C. than at c. 7° C. Conidia were produced per unit area of pustule more than ten times as rapidly at 14° C. as at 7° C.
The increased susceptibility of wheat to mildew after applying nitrogenous fertilizer (N) was associated with changes in its growth rate. Both growth rate and susceptibility increased to a maximum and then declined; the curves for the two were parallel, with a lag of some days between effect on growth rate and effect on susceptibility. Plants that had passed through the susceptible phase and became resistant to mildew, again became susceptible when supplied with more N. Nitrogen-deficient plants continuously resisted infection.
The higher the average growth rate during an experiment the greater was the total amount of infection. Increasing the average growth rate was soon followed by a sharp increase in the amount of infection. When plants of two size groups received the same amount of N the initially smaller plants became more heavily infected than the larger plants.