WATER stress in the traditional sense has not been a problem this season but farming in Australia's variable and extreme climate often means growers are facing a dry finish - when crown rot thrives. Moisture stress during grain-fill is the overridingfactor that dictates the level of yield loss to crown rot. Even under high infection levels the seasonal finish can result in between three per cent (no moisture stress) to 55 per cent yield loss (hot/dry finish) in bread wheat or 13 per cent to 90 percent yield loss in durum. Crown rot management strategies need to have a stronger focus on their impact on soil water status and its interaction with crown rot.
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