Microdochium seedling blight
Microdochium nivale
Symptoms
The most common symptom of a serious attack is poor establishment. The fungus can also cause root rotting, brown foot rot, leaf blotch and, in combination with fusarium species, ear blight
Life cycle
Inoculum (spores) are found in soil and on infected seed. Spores, released when seedling blight or stem-base browning occurs, are splashed up the plant and ultimately infect the ear.
Risk factors
– Wet weather during flowering
– High level of seed infection
– Untreated seed sown into poor seedbeds
– Late-sown crops
