An outlook on wheat health in Europe from a network of field experiments

Wheat disease management in Europe is mainly based on the use of fungicides and cultivation resistant cultivars. Improving implies formal comparison methods terms both crop health yield levels (attainable yield, actual yield), thus enabling an assessment losses gains. Such not available for wheat Europe. The objective analysis reported here to provide overview performance field experiments Data from six European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden) conducted between 2013 2017 were analysed that aim. Relationships multiple levels, level cultivar resistance, fungicide protection, weather patterns assessed. analyses included 73 experiments, corresponding a total 447 [fungicide protection x cultivar] combinations. Analyses across led ranking importance foliar diseases as follows, decreasing order: leaf blotch (septoria tritici blotch, septoria nodorum tan spot), rust, yellow powdery mildew. Fusarium head blight was observed France stem rust sporadically Italy. Disease patterns, inputs (fertiliser, fungicides), yields widely varied within countries. affected by use, well patterns. While this enables better documentation status Europe, it also highlights critical need policies more judicious pesticides. First, common standards are needed (experimental designs protocols; procedures scales; references, including reference-susceptible cultivars); second, assessments farmers' fields – research stations necessary; third, there process-based models estimate attainable yields, so, losses.