Integrated management of arable farming systems: the Lautenbach project. 3. Pests and diseases 1979-1983

This is a further contribution on the Lautenbach project, reporting attacks by pests and diseases from 1979 to 1983. Major pests and diseases were assessed on "intergrated cropped" winter wheat and sugar beets and compared with the level of attack on conventionally treated sites. The incidence of the stem rot diseases of the integrated cropped winter wheat was found to be 8-20 per cent lower than of the conventionally grown one. However, there was a higher infestation by powdery mildew in the first four experimantal years in the integrated system. Thereafter, an average decrease of the leaf damage of 15 per cent was estimated on the three upper leaves. A comparion of brown rust in both farming systems was possible only in 1983. The initial attack was slightly higher on the integrated sites (2-5 per cent) in the first decades of June,