Rhizoctonia, pythium and Fusarium are becoming more widespread in cereal crops and have the potential to cause devastating yield loss. What’s so bad about these soilborne diseases? For starters, they attack both seeds and roots, stealing nutrients and key resources needed to produce quality crops.

Pythium causes lesions around the root which leads to seedling collapse.

Rhizoctonia quickly infects germinating seeds and young seedlings, and nibbles away at root tips.

Fusarium infects the roots and eventually spreads to the crown.

Together, these pathogens kill the root tissue, tips and root cortex, and invade the entire root system so roots can no longer absorb sufficient water and nutrients. Emergence and growth decrease drastically as a result, and lodging is often observed.

Underground insects, such as wireworms, also threaten crop yield and quality by attacking root systems. By nibbling away at the roots, wireworms reduce the flow of water and nutrients into the plant and create root lesions that make crops more susceptible to diseases and other stress factors.

Additionally, limited crop rotation can impact root health by creating a more hospitable soil environment for diseases. This also contributes to the “green bridge” effect, in which diseases carry over from season to season on remaining plant material. Identifying diseases early and rotating to non-host crops helps impede disease development.

TREATED SEED: This wheat plant was grown from seed treated with Syngenta’s CruiserMaxx Vibrance Cereals seed treatment. The soil had been inoculated with Rhizoctonia. (Photo: Syngenta)

Reduced tillage and irrigation also can increase prevalence of yield-robbing soilborne pests. For no-till winter wheat growers in particular, a strong root system is critical to surviving winter dormancy, since there is less time for the crop to emerge and develop a healthy stand.

Stopping damage caused by Rhizocotnia, pythium and Fusarium as early as possible is critical to helping ensure optimum root health and maximum yield potential in cereals. To get ahead of these diseases and help crops develop with healthy, efficient root systems, follow these steps:

UNTREATED SEED: This wheat plant was grown with untreated seed. The soil had been inoculated with Rhizoctonia. (Photo: Syngenta)

Choosing an early disease management plan and the best variety and seed treatment is vital to steering clear of soilborne pathogens and underground insects, which provides growers with the best chance for success. Following these best practices, monitoring fields and talking with area crop consultants, agronomists and retailers can help you make sound decisions for getting your crop off to a solid start this season.

Popiel is the Syngenta agronomic service representative in North Dakota. Contact him at [email protected].