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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153057
Title: PLANT DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND DIVERSITY

Author
item TURKINGTON, T - AGRI & AGRI-FOOD,LACOMBE
item HARTMAN, M - ALBERTA AGRIC,LACOMBE
item Krupinsky, Joseph
item KUTCHER, H - SASKATOON RES CTR,MELFORT
item MCMULLEN, M - NDSU-FARGO,ND
item TEWARI, J - UNIV OF ALBERTA,EDMONTON
item XI, K - ALBERTA AGRIC,LACOMBE

Submitted to: Proceedings from Dynamic Cropping Systems: Prinicples, Processes, and Challenges
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2003
Publication Date: 8/4/2003
Citation: TURKINGTON, T.K., HARTMAN, M., KRUPINSKY, J.M., KUTCHER, H.R., MCMULLEN, M.P., TEWARI, J.P., XI, K. PLANT DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND DIVERSITY. Proceedings from Dynamic Cropping Systems: Prinicples, Processes, and Challenges. In: Hanson, J.D. and J.M. Krupinsky (eds), p. 37-59. 2003.

Interpretive Summary: Modern farming practices can include the same crop or crop rotations with a small number of crops. In addition, the crop varieties being grown can be genetically uniform. As a result these practices produce field crops that tend not to be responsive to stresses, and being simplified, they often allow the best adapted weeds, insects, and diseases to increase. In our modern cropping systems, mixtures of crop varieties and crops can be used increase genetic diversity. Crop rotation can help eliminate sources of disease as well as providing other benefits. The use of diversity for plant disease management should not be recommended without consideration of how it will fit into the overall management practice from the point of view of the individual producer, and also the end-users of the commodities that are produced. Plant disease management via diversity can be used to help reduce input costs for the producer, while reducing disease levels, and improving and stabilizing quality and yield. Diversity for disease management can be an effective component of "dynamic cropping systems", which "provides producers with management flexibility for developing their own long-term sustainable crop, soil, and land use systems".

Technical Abstract: Unfortunately, modern agroecosystems are often composed of either monocultures or rotations with a small number of crop components where the cultivars being grown are uniform with reduced genetic diversity. As a consequence these systems tend not to be as responsive to abiotic and biotic stresses, and being highly simplified, they often allow the best adapted pest species to proliferate. In our modern cropping systems, mixtures, intercropping, and gene deployment can be used as mechanisms to increase genetic diversity, while diversity in the form of crop rotation can directly eliminate sources of disease as well as providing other benefits. The use of diversity for plant disease management should not be recommended without consideration of how it will fit into the overall cropping system from the point of view of the individual producer, and also the ultimate end-users of the commodities that are produced. Plant disease management via diversity can be used to help reduce input costs for the producer, while reducing disease levels, and improving and stabilizing quality and yield. Diversity for disease management can be an effective component of "dynamic cropping systems", which "provides producers with management flexibility for developing their own long-term sustainable crop, soil, and land use systems".