Protect your crop against fungal diseases this coming season

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Fungal diseases can strike before you even see them. Protect your crops early to secure healthy plants and strong yields this season.

Following above-normal rainfall in South Africa’s central summer grain-producing region, we are already seeing grading problems and the impact of fungal diseases on yields. Based on these observations, it is critical for producers to understand that more fungal disease spores than usual have survived on crop residues in areas where planting will occur again this season. Careful planning is therefore essential to protect both the crop and yields to the greatest extent possible.

Fungal life cycle

Understanding the life cycle of common fungi increases the chance of keeping plants healthy and optimising yields. In the central summer grain-producing region, several fungal diseases were observed this past season, including northern corn leaf blight, rust, grey leaf spot, sclerotinia, and Alternaria leaf spot, among others.

These diseases share very similar life cycles:

1. Fungi are currently in a dormant period, surviving on plant debris.
2. If conditions become favourable, fungal spores spread.
3. The spores must land on a susceptible host crop and penetrate it, though no visible lesions appear at this stage.
4. Infection begins within the host, still without visible symptoms.
5. During the growth and reproduction phase, the first visible lesions appear on the crops.
6. New infections can then spread to neighbouring plants and fields.

This cycle highlights the latent period during which the disease is active but not yet visible, emphasising the importance of early and proactive management.

Symptoms caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Registered crops and target diseases:

• Maize and sweet corn: Northern corn leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), rust (Puccinia sorghi), Phaeosphaeria leaf spot (Phaeosphaeria maydis), sorghum downy mildew (Sclerospora sorghi), grey leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis)
• Canola: Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)
• Sunflowers: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria helianthi)
• Soybeans: Soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi)
• Grain sorghum: Brown rust (Puccinia purpurea), northern corn leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum), sooty stripe (Ramulispora sorghi)
• Peanuts: Early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola), peanut web blotch (Phoma arachidicola) – suppression

Custodia™ 320 SC provides both preventive and curative control of a wide range of fungal diseases under South African conditions. Backed by ADAMA’s focus on quality and reliable after-sales service, spraying with Custodia™ 320 SC can make a significant positive impact on your yield.

For more information, contact your agent or any ADAMA specialist.

Registration information

Registration holder: ADAMA South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: L9342
Company registration number: 1992/001741/07
Address: Ground Floor, Simeka House, The Vineyard Office Estate, 99 Jip de Jager Avenue, Bellville 7530
Emergency number: +27 21 982 1460
Email: infocpt@adama.com
UN number: 3082