First reported in Nebraska 1969. Also known as Clavibacter nebraskense Symptoms and Disease Cycle Pathogen overwinters on infected debris. Seedlings may become systemically infected, resulting in wilting, discolored vascular tissue. Older plants which become infected have have leaft blight . No vectors involved in transmission.
Infection requires injury from hail, sandblasting, etc.
First reported from Iowa in 1916, not usually a serious problem. Other hosts include sudangrass, johnsongrass, broom corn, pearl millet, foxtail millet. Can be confused with injury from paraquat drift. Pathogen overwinters in crop res idues and soil. Invades plants through stomates.