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Fusarium: a lot of rot

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Western Australia
June 3, 2009

Source: GRDC's The Crop Doctor

Fusarium is associated with fungi that greatly trouble grain growers.

A range of Fusarium species can be associated with crown rot, fungal stained grain and head blight symptoms.

Fusarium pseudograminearum, the major cause of crown rot, ranks in the top five most damaging wheat diseases in Australia. F. graminearum is commonly associated with Fusarium Head Blight, although other Fusarium species are also associated with head blight and contaminated grain.

Fusarium Head Blight (not found in Western Australia (WA) in the 2008 harvest) and Fusarium grain contamination can be serious with wet weather at flowering and harvest.

Crown rot is widespread in Australia, annually costing about $50 million in lost yield. Surveys of WA paddocks with a high frequency of wheat by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) in 2005-2007 and CSIRO in November 2008, found crown rot at damaging levels in all districts, but particularly the southern region.

A GRDC supported study by Dr Sukumar Chakraborty and his CSIRO team found Fusarium species and strains within a species differed in virulence and their impact on wheat yield and quality.

For crown rot, Dr Chakraborty says fallowing or rotating non-cereals, helps with moderate epidemics and reduces Fusarium infestation the next season.

GRDC is also supporting development of Fusarium resistant wheat. The CSIRO team has identified two potential sources of crown rot resistance that are currently being evaluated.

In 2008, harvest along WA’s southern coast was affected by pink and orange stained wheat and barley, with DAFWA confirming an association with various Fusarium species. In addition to Fusarium, other identified causes of the pink stained grain were pink yeast and physiological pink staining.

According to Dr Rohan Rainbow, GRDC Manager, Crop Protection, humid and mild weather conditions at crop maturity favours Fusarium infection of grain. Wet weather and harvest delays can allow Fusarium to proliferate.

Extremely wet conditions in November/December 2008 were the most likely cause of the Fusarium grain mould seen at harvest in WA’s southern region.

Albany and Esperance received more than 125mm in November and December, which favoured the proliferation of fungi on mature grain.

Geoff Thomas, GRDC supported DAFWA Plant Pathologist, says stubble from winter cereals and grass weeds can host Fusarium inoculum. Sowing cereals following non-host crops and rotating affected paddocks out of cereals could reduce the risk of fungal agents contaminating grain.

 

 

 

The Crop Doctor is
GRDC Managing Director,
Peter Reading


 

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