Natural field infections of wheat and triticale by fungi from the complex of fungi Stagonospora nodorum/Septoria tritici under climatic conditions of Poland.

Stagonospora nodorum and Septoria tritici are classified as necrotrophic fungi that cause glume and leaf blotch and speckled leaf blotch of cereals and grasses worldwide. Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) and Septoria tritici blotch (STB) occur quite often in complexes and are classified among the most destructive diseases to their hosts, what also was found in the present study. The intensity of diseases caused on wheat and triticale in Poland is associated with weather and environmental conditions. Moderate temperatures in the range of 20 - 23 degrees C and high relative humidity are conducive for the occurrence and development of both, SNB and STB. Results of presently reported experiments confirm that species of Stagonospora nodorum and S. tritici complex on wheat and triticale occur naturally throughout the country. In addition, statistical tests proved that the natural infections of triticale and wheat varieties in field nurseries are statistically different between locations and within each location. Plants were subjected to phenotypic evaluation, taking into account the degree of infection of leaves and glumes (Poznań et al., 2011). The reported data are generally in coincidence with our previous findings, however, they need to be confirmed on multi annual basis.