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The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia has urged farmers to be on alert for bacterial stripe blight in oats, following increasing reports of the disease in Western Australia (WA).

Spokeswoman Dominie Wright said there were concerns that symptoms of bacterial stripe blight in oats were being confused with fungal diseases.

“Bacterial stripe blight appears to be particularly evident this year. DAFWA has had an increasing number of samples submitted to AgWest Plant Laboratories, along with numerous grower enquiries concerned with stripe blight in oats,” Ms Wright said.

“The symptoms of stripe blight are brown or red stripes, sometimes with a thin yellow margin, extending along the leaf. Lesions often begin at the tip and extend down the sides of the leaf. With heavy infection, stripe lesions can join together to cause a larger necrotic blotch causing the leaf to die back from the tip.”

Septoria avenae of oats

Ms Wright said the symptoms could be confused with fungal diseases, such as Septoria avenae or red leather leaf (not yet detected in WA).

“Septoria on oats causes small dark brown / purple oval or elongated spots on leaves. These spots can extend into larger light brown blotches covering the leaf. Bacterial and fungal diseases can occur simultaneously in a crop,” she said.

“It is very important to correctly diagnose the cause of leaf disease in oats as use of registered fungicides will not provide any protection from bacterial diseases.”

 

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