Einfluß langjähriger Winterweizen-Monokultur auf Ertragsbildung, Krankheitsbefall und Nematodenbesatz im Vergleich zum Winterweizenanbau in der Fruchtfolge

Influence of winter wheat grown continuously on grain yield, foot rot infection and nematodes compared with winter wheat in rotation
The field trial, started in 1968 at the experimental-station in Rauischholzhausen, was intended to give informations about winter wheat in continuous cultivation. The question was if intensification of growing culture enables monoculture wheat to yield as high as winter wheat in rotation (sugar-beet, winter wheat, spring barley). Influence of green manuring with additional nitrogen, straw manuring with additional nitrogen, straw burning and fungicid treatment against eyespot was investigated.
The following results have been obtained in the years 1969 to 1985:
1. In the 17 years average winter wheat in rotation yielded with 50.1 dt/ha a higher amount of grain dry weight than wheat in monoculture (43.6 dt/ha). Only in 3 years wheat in monoculture reaches the grain yield level of wheat in rotation.
2. The incidence of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides was in wheat after wheat about 10% higher than in wheat after sugar-beets.
3. The use of fungicides against culm base diseases caused in monoculture an increase in yield of about 2.7 dt/ha which was not higher than in rotation (+2.5 dt/ha).
4. The first 12 years indicated a decline-effect with continuously decreasing differences in the yield of wheat in monoculture compared with rotation. But until the 17th year of the trial grain yield differences were as high as in the beginning.
It is not possible either by means of intensification of fertilizing or chemical plant protection treatment to reach the grain yield level of winter wheat in rotation with winter wheat in monoculture. Even the use of modern agronomical methodes remains crop rotation as a central part of an effective plant culture.