46% of agrochemicals are applied to Brazilian wheat in 3 months

Almost half the volume of pesticides are applied to Brazilian wheat during April, May, and June to control six primary diseases.

The data comes from a survey by the National Union of the Plant Defense Products Industry (SINDIVEG).

Wheat continues to stand out among the most important crops in Brazil, highlights SINDIVEG, and for this reason, crop protection technologies are needed.

The union encourages correct and safe application, which means increased productivity in the field because agricultural pesticides allow plants to grow and bear fruit, protecting them from the attack and proliferation of insects, diseases, and weeds.

SINDIVEG points out which are the primary pests of wheat and the damage they cause:

Stem rust – Disease caused by a fungus (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) characterized by the formation of spots in the shape of yellowish dots. As it develops, these patches get larger, elongated, and raised in shape. It mainly affects the stems and the parts where the leaves attach to the stem. It can cause plant toppling over and grain shrinkage, which reduces productivity.

Wheat armyworm (Pseudaletia sequax) – It is the main defoliating pest of the wheat crop. Its damage is also observed in other grasses, such as rice, oats, ryegrass, rye, barley, corn, and pastures. Its attack is important up to the eightieth day of the crop, and the losses are sensitive when the level of defoliation exceeds 30%.

Brown spot (Bipolaris sorokiniana) – This disease has the potential to cause significant damage, especially in hot and humid springs. In the wheat crop, losses caused by this disease can reach up to 80%.

Ryegrass – Ryegrass is a winter species and occurs concurrently on winter crops such as wheat. It is easily dispersed and, therefore, is present and characterized as a weed in practically all winter crops and orchards in southern Brazil. The interference of weeds in plants cultivated by the competition of water, nutrients, and solar radiation can bring numerous harm to the production system, with the wheat crop can harm productivity, reducing its yield.

Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) – This disease manifests itself from the appearance of the first leaves until the plant's maturation. Due to the reduction in the photosynthetic area of the plant, which is covered by pustules in susceptible cultivars, grain production is affected, which can lead to damages of more than 50%.

Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. Tritici) – Powdery mildew is an economically important disease in all wheat-producing countries, mainly due to the loss of plant vigor, which translates into a drop in yields of up to 40%. The disease occurs naturally, primarily in southern Brazil while in other regions, it occurs in irrigated crops. The pathogen reduces photosynthesis and increases plant respiration and transpiration, leading to plant weakening and stunting.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)