Effect of powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f.sp. tritici) on spring wheat in Finland

In 1970–72 the effect of powdery mildew on Finnish spring wheats with different field resistance was studied. For the mildew control 1 kg/ha Karathane WD (22.5 % Dinocap) was used. These investigations showed that mildew control increased grain yields in susceptible varieties by 2.4 to 6.6 %. The 1000-grain weight increased by 2.2 to 5.3 %, respectively. On the more field resistant spring wheats mildew control had no particular effect. Mildew control evened out the relative yield differences between the varieties. The paper includes notes on the occurrence of mildew in Finland while the need for resistance breeding is also discussed