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Seedling Blight: Frequently Asked Questions

 
 
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 Why does my field have patchy and poor emergence even though there was good moisture for germination?
This could be due to seedling blight, which is also known as damping off.

What is seedling blight?
Seedling blight is a fungal infection that causes the seed or seedling to rot and die. It can be characterized by patches in the field that fail to germinate. If the seedlings do manage to germinate, they may not emerge, or they may emerge and then become brown, pinched, and die. Other symptoms include stunted and yellow growth, or reduced root growth with brown spots on the roots and coleoptile.

What causes seedling blight/damping off?
There are many fungi present in the soil that can cause seedling death. Among these fungi are Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., and Rhizoctonia spp. Most infection is soil borne, but it can also be seed borne.

Which crops can be affected?
All crops can be affected by one or more of the fungus pathogens.

What can I do about seedling blight?
Seed treating before planting can help to protect the seed and newly emerging seedling. Plant shallow so the seedling does not rely on its seed reserve as long. This means the seedling is stronger and growing well, faster than a seedling that is planted deeper. Plant good quality seed to prevent severe infection. Cracked seed allows the pathogen to enter the seed and can increase the infection rate.

How does weather affect seedling blight?
Cool moist conditions in the spring that can slow seed germination and emergence can increase the occurrence of seedling blight, compared to a warm dry spring. Pathogens vary depending on weather conditions. Pythium spp. tend to like cool wet conditions spring where Rhizoctonia tend to favor cool dry spring conditions.

Fact Sheet - Common Root Rot Seedling Blight Damping Off
Fact Sheet - Common Root Rot, Seedling Blight and Prematurity Blight of Cereals

Prepared by Karla Bergstrom, Ag-Info Centre, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development

 
 
 
 
For more information about the content of this document, contact the Ag-Info Centre.
This information published to the web on June 19, 2003.
Last Reviewed/Revised on April 22, 2008.