The fungus moves through the plant's water-conducting system to the stem nodes and leaves. Cephalosporium stripe is favored by cool, moist autumns, with fluctuating winter temperatures that result in stop-start growth cycles of the crop. Damage Description Diseased plants are usually scattered around the field but may be concentrated in low wet spots. Longitudinal yellow stripes appear through the leaf, leaf-sheath and stem. Veins within the stripe remain green.
Stripes become brown and dark areas are formed at the nodes.
Infected plants are stunted and produce white heads. Infection stripes may not appear on all tillers of individually infected plants. The presence of the fungus inside the cereal stems and leaves interferes with the flow of water and nutrients. Yield losses result from reduced seed production and kernel size. Infection rates of 80 per cent and yield reductions of 50 per cent have occurred in the United States.