Blossom blight of Caraway

The best time to scout crops for this disease is during flowering. Depending upon the stage of flowering, a healthy field will show the whitish to whitish-pink coloration of the flowers interspersed with the bright green growth of healthy stems, leaves and seeds. Depending upon disease severity, a blighted field may have scattered small patches of brown areas to the whole field being brown. Distinct patches of disease may indicate points of inoculation that originated from seed. When the disease is severe a field may turn brown in a few days. This browning in a crop is mainly due to the death of growing tips, flowers and umbels.  In coriander, note the browning and death of the emerging umbels containing the young flowers. In caraway, note the dieback of the small flowers and young seeds. Later in the season when plants are beginning to mature it may be difficult to recognise a diseased field aside from the reduced seed production.