Alfalfa Crown Rot, Is it time to renovate or rotate?
Alfalfa fields in Illinois have had a rough time lately. If the droughty weather last year did not stress alfalfa enough, the winter ice or freezing temperatures in April certainly could have. In retrospect, it may not be surprising to find alfalfa fields with rotted crowns. Damage to the crown and roots of alfalfa plants is a chronic problem caused by a complex of soil microorganisms that include fungi, bacteria, and nematodes. There are many fungi that make up this complex of organisms so symptoms of crown rot are not characteristic to any one group of fungi. Development of crown rot is favored by plant stress, age of the plant, damage to the crown, or insect damage. This complex of rot organisms interact with non-pathogenic soil microbes when plants are stressed, damaged by insects, or when exposed to unfavorable environmental conditions; the end result being rot of the alfalfa crown and root. These organisms can infect and rot the crown and roots of alfalfa throughout the year. Sym