Seed rots are diseases which affect seeds prior to germination or shortly after germination. In this case seed or the developing radicales are rotted and killed. Since many fungi are involved the rot may be tan, brown, gray or black in colour. The rotted seed can be wet, mushy or dry. Pre-emergence seedling blights as the name implies affect young seedlings prior to emergence.
Symptoms first appear as water-soaked lesions on the developing seedling tissues.
They may become watery and soft or firm and dry depending on the disease-causing organism. The colour of the lesions can vary from dark brown or nearly black to tan. Affected seedlings may die or grow slower than healthy seedlings. In severe cases the seedling may wilt, collapse and die. Lesions are watery and soft rot of stem and root tissue at or near the soil surface.