Crazy top downy mildew

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Courtesy EcoPort (http://www.ecoport.org): J. Kranz
Is this a Minor Pest?
Yes
Minor Pest Title

Crazy top downy mildew (Sclerophthora macrospora)

Minor Pest Description

This fungal disease can be troublesome in low lying areas that become flooded. Infected plants have thick, stiff, twisted, pale green leaves with bumpy surfaces. The leaves often turn downward, and the plants produce many shoots or suckers giving a bunchy appearance. Infected plants do not produce heads or produce a proliferation of leafy tissue in place of the head. Wild and cultivated grasses can serve as sources of infection.

Minor Pest What to do.
  • Plant resistant varieties.
  • Remove diseased plants from the field.
  • Rotate with non-cereals.
  • Avoid excess soil moisture in the field.
Minor Pest Position
9
Minor Pest Firstcontent
127
Pest Type
viral
Host Plants
Sorghum