Botrytis Stem and Pod Rot (Grey Mold)
In humid conditions this disease will persist among plants in mid to late summer.
Symptoms: Botrytis symptoms usually don't appear until late flowering. When the stem is infected the stem will turn a light brown or bleached and covered with grey mold with iron fillings. When the pods are infected they will fail to fill properly, rot and turn brown and may be covered in mold.
Disease Cycle: The infection can start from diseased seed, infected crop and weeds or having sclerotia in the soil. When your soil is heavily infested or the seed is infected, seedling blight occures. Cool, wet and humid weather promotes the infection and disease to occur and spread. The mold on the tissues produce thousands of spores that can be easily carried by wind or rain, the spores can also be carried by irrigation and agriculture machinery.
Control: Disease free seed and treatments can control the seedling blight. Wide row spacing and reduce your seeding rates may improve crop ventilation, reduce stem and pod rot but could also produce heavier weed infestations. You may use good weed control and fungicide sprays to help with the weed infestations.
Symptoms: Botrytis symptoms usually don't appear until late flowering. When the stem is infected the stem will turn a light brown or bleached and covered with grey mold with iron fillings. When the pods are infected they will fail to fill properly, rot and turn brown and may be covered in mold.
Disease Cycle: The infection can start from diseased seed, infected crop and weeds or having sclerotia in the soil. When your soil is heavily infested or the seed is infected, seedling blight occures. Cool, wet and humid weather promotes the infection and disease to occur and spread. The mold on the tissues produce thousands of spores that can be easily carried by wind or rain, the spores can also be carried by irrigation and agriculture machinery.
Control: Disease free seed and treatments can control the seedling blight. Wide row spacing and reduce your seeding rates may improve crop ventilation, reduce stem and pod rot but could also produce heavier weed infestations. You may use good weed control and fungicide sprays to help with the weed infestations.
