Effect of soil treatment with pathogenic fungi on the growth parameters and production of wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.)

The pots experiment was conducted in the Khabat Technical Institute/ Erbil Polytechnic University/ Kurdistan region/ Iraq, 2022-2023 to study the Effect of soil treatment with pathogenic fungi on the growth parameters and production of wheat varieties. A factorial experimental design was applied in a random complete block design (RBCD) with three replications. The first factor represents five varieties of wheat (Adana, Hawler 2, Hawler 6, Jehan, and Pakistany), the second factor represents two soil types (full control and natural soil) and two types of pathogenic fungi (Pythium aphanidermatum and Alternaria alternata). The fungi Pythium aphanidermatum had the most influence on the growth characteristics as the plant height was 65.734 cm, number of tillers 3.866, leaf area (LA) 353.576 cm2, leaf area index (LAI) 7.07, dry matter 5.09 g per plant, crop growth rate 0.033 g plant-1 day-1, while A. alternate fungi showed less effect than P. aphanidermatum. For wheat varieties, Hawler 2 recorded the best results on the growth characteristic, and the interaction treatment of A. alternata with the Hawler 2 variety, gave the best results in terms of growth and yield characteristics. The full control had the most influence on the yield characteristics and recorded the heights No. of spike plant-1 6.86, No. of seed spike-1 10.53, 1000 grain weight 52.66 g and grain yield 44.93 g plant-1, as well as the highest value of the yield components among the varieties was the Hawler 2 variety, the interaction between the full control with the Adana variety achieved the highest result of No. of spike plant-1 and grain yield g plant-1 .