DISEASES OF ALFALFA - VERTICILLIUM WILT

Sanitation can also be extremely important for Verticillium wilt control. Verticillium albo-atrum is very easily moved from field to field on harvesting equipment. Thus, be sure to clean equipment (with a detergent solution if possible) between fields. If cleaning is not an option, be sure to harvest younger alfalfa stands before older stands. Also harvest healthy stands before stands showing obvious symptoms of Verticillium wilt. Harvesting in the appropriate order should help limit the spread of the pathogen from infected stands to non-infected stands.