DISEASES OF SMALL GRAINS - TAKE-ALL

In addition to aboveground symptoms, take-all affected plants have root systems that are rotted and poorly developed. The most characteristic symptom of the disease is the presence of a black, shiny area of infection under the leaf sheath at the base of the culm. Weakening of the root system and culms often leads to lodging, another characteristic symptom of the disease.

Take-all is most common in fields where wheat has been grown for several years. Also, neutral or alkaline soil pH’s tend to favor the disease, as do moist soil conditions. Control of take-all usually can be achieved through an appropriate crop rotation. A one-year rotation away from wheat is usually sufficient to achieve control. Acidification of soil (i.e., lowering of the pH), if feasible, may also help to control the disease. Proper plant fertilization also helps reduce take-all severity by reducing stress that may make plants more susceptible to infection. The effect of no-till practices on the severity of take-all is not clear. In some regions of the US, use of deep plowing has helped reduce the severity of take-all. In other regions of the US however, disease has been reported to be less severe in no-till fields.