Rhizoctonia solani

• Rhizoctonia Solani is the most common cause of seedling blight
• Prolonged exposure to cold, very wet or dry soil, deep seeding and short crop rotations encourage infection
• Seeds fail to germinate and become soft and pulpy or they germinate and become soft and pulpy or they germinate but seedlings fail to emerge
• Seedling roots decay and the rot extends up into hypocotyl and stem at the soil surface, causing the seedling to topple over
• Typical wirestem appearance
• In dry conditions, shriveled stem may persist
• Under wet condition, the seedling is destroyed in a few days
• Seedling blight may be scattered throughout fields or in patches, particularly on knolls or in depressions
• By the two to four-leaf stage, seedlins can withstand light to moderate infection and regenerate new rootlets
• Generally causes poor stand establishment

Scouting:

• Just after emergence, look for areas of fields that exhibit severe stand reduction and scout those areas for symptoms of blight or damping off

Control:

• Seed shallowly in firmly packed soil
• Sow into warm soils with adequate fertility
• Prosper seed treatment will protect against Rhizoctonia Solani