Severity of Septoria Leaf Spot and Sunflower Yield Due to Leaf Wetness Duration

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of leaf wetness on the severity of septoria leaf spot in sunflower. The experiments were performed in two sowing dates in November and January in Santa Maria, RS. Sunflower inoculation was carried out with the Septoria helianthi isolate, with subsequent assessment of disease severity, progress and cypsela yield. The treatments were composed of different periods of 0, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 hours of artificially applied leaf wetness. Variables influencing the disease were observed during the cycle, such as mean air temperature, mean relative air humidity and daily-accumulated rainfall. The greater the leaf wetness the greater the severity and the area under the disease progress curve. Meantime, the healthy leaf area duration has an inverse relation with leaf wetness duration. The yield also decreases with greater leaf wetness duration and the yield reduction reaches 100% in the plants exposed to the longer leaf wetness periods.