Mungbean and sorghum disease update

Abstract

Take home message:
1.Avoid paddocks with a history of Fusarium wilt in mungbean. Plant seed into well-drained soils and minimise plant stress. 2.To minimise the risk of halo blight and tan spot: use low risk planting seed, plant varieties with higher levels of resistance, clean harvesting equipment, control weeds and volunteers, and use suitable crop rotations. 3.Report phytoplasma disease outbreaks to Qld DAF Entomologists and Plant Pathologists. 4.Timely fungicide applications of Folicur® (PER13979 – expires 30th June 2017; application for extension submitted, pending approval) or Custodia® (PER82104 – expires 30th November 2019) are effective at managing powdery mildew in mungbean. For Folicur, crops should be sprayed at the first sign of disease and then again 14 days later if necessary, with a maximum of three applications per crop. For Custodia, do not apply more than three foliar applications per season with a minimum retreatment interval of 10 to 14 days. 5.Sorghum stubble is a good reservoir for Fusarium thapsinum to survive between sorghum crops. 6.Level of F. thapsinum in sorghum stubble starts to decline after two months with standing stubble treatments appearing to decline at a slower rate than surface and buried treatments. By 18 months, F. thapsinum levels appear to be similar across all stubble treatments. 7.PREDICTA B test for Macrophomina phaseolina is under evaluation.