Seedling diseases are caused by fungi that kill young plants, leaving large skipped sections in the field. If seedling disease damage is severe, cotton growers must replant, losing time and money. However, applying fungicides in years when they are unnecessary adds to production costs. The National Cotton Council's Beltwide Program Committee for Cotton Seedling Disease Education has developed a rating scale to help growers decide whether they need to apply preventive fungicides at planting, Goldberg said. Other risk factors for seedling diseases include seed quality, field history, tillage practices, seeding rate and insecticide or nematicide application.
Growers add up their points from seven questions on the weighted system.
A total of 13 points or more means a high risk of seedling diseases.