Pulse disease guide

2025 in review

The 2025 season was variable for pulse disease severity across Victoria. Early ascochyta blight (AB) was observed in lentils across multiple areas, which required fungicides to prevent yield losses.

Proactive disease management and minimal spring rainfall meant that disease was of isolated concern across most of Victoria and usually easily managed. Low levels of many diseases were still present in many paddocks, which will contribute to the carryover of disease into the 2026 season.

2026 pulse disease management

There is a risk of disease carryover into the 2026 season from infected seed and stubble of crops that had disease during 2025, particularly the areas with AB. To minimise the risk of disease during 2026, a proactive integrated disease management strategy will be required, including:

• avoiding susceptible varieties where possible
• avoiding planting pulse crops into or adjacent to paddocks where there was disease during 2025
• sowing healthy, vigorous seed
• using fungicidal seed dressings where applicable
• implementing a fungicide management plan.

Summer rainfall and the growth of weeds will increase the risk of soil-borne diseases including root lesion nematodes and Pythium. A PREDICTA^®B test will identify paddocks at risk from some important soil-borne diseases.

There have been no major disease rating changes for most pulses for 2025.

Download the guide

To read the pulse disease guide download:

• Pulse disease guide 2026 – accessible version [MS Word Document - 266.0 KB]

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