See:
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) - Common Root Rot (Seedling Blight)
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) - Eyespot (Strawbreaker Foot Rot)
Fungicide Effectiveness as Seed Treatments for Cereal Diseases
Cause Up to six Fusarium spp. (including F. culmorum and F. pseudograminearum), all soilborne fungi that live on old stubble and straw in the soil. They may infect roots and crowns of spring and winter wheat. This disease is common in dryland winter wheat and notill annual spring cereals. It is associated with high fall soil temperatures, low fall soil moisture, and moisture stress after anthesis. Oats, barley, and numerous grasses are susceptible.
Symptoms In late fall and early spring, roots are brown, and the subcrown internode is discolored. At about boot stage, roots and subcrown internode are uniformly dark brown. The lower stem extending above the first node may be streaked or uniformly brown. After heading, white heads may develop that may be void of kernels or produce shriveled kernels. Plants may die prematurely. Early infections may also cause seed decay or damping-off.
Cultural control
- Seed winter wheat later or spring wheat earlier when the soil at seed depth is 60°F or below.
- Rotate 2 or more years out of cereal crops.
- Moldboard plowing, reducing the seeding rate, and reducing the amount of fall-applied nitrogen are helpful.
Chemical control Seed treatment is helpful to protect against seed rot or seedling diseases.
- Captan 4F (Group M4) at 2 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. Controls a broad spectrum of fungi.
- Charter (Group 3) at 3.1 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye for control of Rhizoctonia and Fusarium. See label for reentry restrictions.
- Dividend Extreme (Group 3 + 4) at 2 to 4 fl oz/100 lb seed. Do not graze green forage for 55 days after planting. See label for reentry restrictions.
- Dynasty (Group 11) at 0.153 to 0.382 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. Use in combination with other active ingredients labeled for seed treatment. 4-hr reentry.
- Maxim 4FS (Group 12) at 0.08 to 0.16 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. Controls pathogenic Fusarium, Helminthosporium, and Rhizoctonia. 12-hr reentry.
- Mertect at 0.013 mg ai/seed (1.3 fl oz/100 lb seed) plus a dye.
- Raxil MD (Group 3 + 4) at 5 to 6.5 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. See label for reentry restrictions.
- Stamina (Group 11) at 0.4 to 0.8 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. Use in combination with other active ingredients labeled for seed treatment.
- 42-S Thiram at 2 fl oz/bu of wheat seed. Controls a broad spectrum of fungi. See label for reentry.
- Vibrance (Group 7) at 0.08 to 0.16 fl oz/100 lb seed plus a dye. See label for reentry restrictions.
Biological control
- Heads Up at 0.035 oz/34 fl oz water/360 lb seed will stimulates pest suppression system of plants. Efficacy unknown. 12-hr reentry. O