Claviceps Purpurea Fungus Is A Devestating Production Disease
Posted in General, Press by Turf Merchants
While it is not a concern in the Willamette Valley, one of the most devastating production diseases is a fungi known as ergot (Claviceps Purpurea). Plants (ryegrass and bluegrass) are infected with the ergot spores when flowering, and produce what is known as “honeydew” which is a gooey substance that adheres to the seeds making them very difficult to machine. Insects are attracted to the “honeydew” and spread the disease amongst seed production fields. The Columbia basin, the Grande Ronde Valley and Central Oregon seed growers have combined forces with the Oregon State University Extension Service and the USDA-ARS to monitor ergot spore production by strategically placing spore traps in these areas of production during the critical times of flowering in seed head formation.
The research focus is to develop a comprehensive, multi-tactic IPM Alert program for ergot in grass seed crops that incorporates chemical controls, biological controls, host plant resistance, and disease modeling. In addition to information on spore production, OSU/ARS will provide timely updates on their recent findings through a newsletter. They have worked to establish cultural and chemical methods for controlling ergot outbreaks. To date, this program has been very successful.