This disease enters plants through the root causing seedling blight or attacks older plants predisposed to several environmental stresses. Seedlings can be killed before or after emergence. Infected plants occur in random patches in fields and are stunted and lighter green than healthy plants. Older plants that are infected will mature early, produce few tillers, have shriveled seed or no seed, and produce heads that are bronzed, bleached, or white. Upon close examination, infected root systems will display a brown color and have fewer roots than healthy plants.
Plants infected at the culm base can lodge.
See photos 32 and 33 . 32 Wheat plants attacked by common root rot turn prematurely and appear white. The heads of these grain plants are empty. Green plants in foreground are healthy. Septoria leaf blotch is particularly damaging to wheat but rarely causes significant losses in barley.