Overview
The Fusarium disease complex causes six to seven percent yield loss on the Prairies annually in different cereal crops. The Fusarium organism can be carried on or in the seed and can also remain dormant in the top few centimeters of the soil for several years. The organism may also spread as spores by wind, water and cultivation.
Main description
Infection of the root system can occur at any stage of plant development. Infected seed fails to germinate or produces weak seedlings, causing considerable stand reduction and reduced yield.
Scouting
Thoroughly scout stand establishment early in the season. Look for areas of missing plants or plants with a weak growth. In the later stages of emergence, scout for patches of infected plants and check specifically for brown lesions on the coleoptile, especially in hot dry weather. On more mature plants, symptoms appear on tissues near or below the soil surface that will extend up through higher plant parts as the disease progresses. Dig up plants to see if root development has been damaged.
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