DISEASES OF ALFALFA - CROWN ROT

Alfalfa crown rot describes a very broad range of rot symptoms affecting the crown of alfalfa plants. Symptoms can include brown to black discoloration of crown tissue, tissue decay and eventual plant death. Fungi associated with alfalfa crown rot include Mycoleptodiscus terretris, Fusarium spp., and very commonly Phoma medicaginis. Other fungi, as well as bacteria, may also be involved. The relative importance of these organisms in the initiation and development of crown rot is not clearly understood.