Pulse disease guide

Published: February 2011
Updated: February 2019

Luise Sigel, Jason Brand and Joshua Fanning

The Victorian pulse disease guide provides the latest information on disease management and the disease resistant ratings for pulse crops.

Season summary 2018

Pulse diseases were of minor importance during 2018 in Victoria, due to dry seasonal conditions. However, there were situations where management was required to prevent losses.

Ascochyta blight in beans was reported to be at high levels early in the season in some crops within the Wimmera and required fungicides. Bacterial blight was observed in most field pea growing regions at varying levels of severity due to widespread frost. Sclerotinia was also found in some lupin crops.

Chickpea ascochyta blight was widespread, but with low levels in each paddock, due to dry conditions and the use of fungicides in some situations. Late rainfall also resulted in ascochyta blight pod infection in chickpea crops not protected with fungicides.

Viruses were detected in a range of pulse crops at low levels and hence few symptoms were observed in the field. In Agriculture Victoria field trials inoculated with Turnip yellows virus, yield losses up to 40 per cent in field pea and 25 per cent in lentil were measured, highlighting the importance of removing the green bridge and aphid control.

Soil-borne diseases, including root lesion nematodes and rhizoctonia were more evident as plants were under pressure to extract more moisture from the soil with their roots.