Brown stripe

The fungus Cercosporidium graminis overwinters in diseased leaves and crop debris. Conidia develop in early spring and are splashed and blown onto healthy leaves.
Initially, the lesions on the leaf blade may be small, rounded brown spots that take on an oval or more elongated appearance as they increase in size.
As the spots extend along the leaf blade, they appear largely brown in colour with a greyish white to light brown centre. In severe cases, the streaks extend to the leaf sheath.
Depending on the species of grass affected and the growth stage, the streaks may appear as narrow bands or wide patches on the leaf surface.
Rows of olive grey to black dots, which are masses of spore structures, appear in parallel rows in the lighter centres of the older lesions. This is characteristic of Cercosporidium infection.