New guide simplifies diagnosis of Fusarium crown rot of winter wheat​​

Fusarium crown rot can infect all major winter cereals, including wheat, oats, barley, and rye, and results in an average ten percent loss of crop annually. The first step in effectively managing Fusarium crown rot is accurate diagnosis, which has been made easier thanks to a new diagnostic guide published in Plant Health Progress.

Intended to be accessible and useful for farmers, crop consultants, and diagnosticians, the guide provides context, visual references, and molecular tools to assist with accurate diagnostics from the field to the lab. While plant disease diagnostics can be very complex, this guide simplifies the process with linear, clear organization and a series of images that increase confidence in plant disease diagnostics.

For the more scientifically minded, the guide also includes technical laboratory protocols and includes PCR and qPCR primers for F. culmorum and F. pseudograminearum that were developed by Dr. Chuntao Yin last year. Read more in “Diagnostic Guide: Fusarium Crown Rot of Winter Wheat.”

A feature of the applied plant health and crop protection journal Plant Health Progress, Diagnostic Guides describe the methods used to identify disorders; diseases and their causal agents; and insect, nematode, or weed pests of specific plants. Diagnostic Guides are illustrated with high-quality color photographs. Learn more about Plant Health Progress.