Growth of the fusarium crown rot pathogen in post harvest cereal stubble over a summer fallow, Narrabri 2019–20

Abstract

Key findings • The fusarium crown rot pathogen (Fusarium pseudograminearum (Fp)) can grow vertically to the height the cereal stubble was cut at harvest over a summer fallow, so will progress further in taller-length stubble (i.e., 32 cm or 45 cm above ground level i.e., harvest height). • Pathogen growth was restricted at or after harvest by cutting the stubble shorter (i.e., 17 cm harvest height). • Altering harvest height of cereal crops can affect stubble-borne pathogens dispersal such as Fp during the subsequent harvest of lower stature chickpea crops. Any implications this has on the disease risk for successive cereal crops within a rotation sequence is yet to be determined. • Cereal stubble management treatments did not significantly affect soil moisture levels after a summer fallow or the following chickpea break crop performance in 2020 at Narrabri.