Seedling blight occurs after germination when fungi either on the seed itself or in the soil attack the emerging seedling. Seed infected with the scab fungus or black point fungi often get seedling blight if not protected by seed treatment. Seed sitting in wet soils or cold soils also are more vulnerable to seedling blights. Seed treatment products may be protectants, systemic products, or combinations of protectant and systemic fungicides. Common root rot was a severe problem in some fields in 1997, especially those with short rotation periods between susceptible crops of hard red spring wheat, durum and barley.
Seed treatment reduces the risk of severe damage.
Check labels of products for crops allowed. Loose smut of wheats and barley may be a problem any year. The loose smut fungus infects through the flowers of the crop and invades the embryo of the new kernel. Infection of this embryo is not visible without special tests. If the infected seed is planted without appropriate seed treatment, the fungus grows along with the growing point of the developing plant, and at heading time, instead of kernels, the grain is replaced with thousands of smut spores.