The nitrogen source applied to crops may alter some soil properties such as pH, resulting in changes in the soil nutrient availability and plant nutrient uptake. Manganese (Mn), which can influence the plant susceptibility to diseases, may even affect host-pathogen relationships. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil application of two N sources and five Mn doses on the severity of the wheat spot blotch disease. Additionally, shoot and root dry matter production, plant Mn uptake and soil Mn availability were evaluated. An experiment in a randomized block design was carried out in a greenhouse, in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme with two N sources [(NH4)2SO4 and Ca(NO3)2] and five Mn doses (0; 2.5; 5.0; 10.0 and 20.0 mg dm-3) with four replications. Plants were grown in a dystrophic Red Latosol (Oxisol), in 2.2 dm³ plastic pots, with three wheat plants per pot. Forty-five days after emergence (DAE) the plants were inoculated with a Bipolaris sorokiniana suspension containing 10(5) conidial fungi per mL. The disease severity degree, shoot and root dry matter production, and the N and Mn leaf contents in the wheat plants were determined, as well as the soil Mn availability. The N sources and Mn doses affected only the disease severity degree, soil available Mn and leaf Mn. Quadratic responses were found for the contents of soil Mn, leaf Mn and disease severity degree as a function of the increased Mn (MnCl2.4H2O) rates applied to soil. The ammonium-based source [(NH4)2SO4] resulted in a greater Mn availability than the nitric-based source [Ca(NO3)2], which was followed by an increase in foliar Mn and a drop in the severity degree of wheat spot blotch.
Triticum aestivum L.; Bipolaris sorokiniana; mineral nutrition
