Bitterroot Restoration

Class: Sordariomycetes
Subclass: Incertae sedis
Order: Phyllachorales
Family: Phyllachoraceae

Anthracnose  (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is known to infect a wide variety of hosts. Anthracnose is largely a seed borne disease, but may be spread on trash, machinery or by animals and birds. Seedlings that emerge from infected seed can develop lesions on the root, hypocotyl or cotyledons. Lesions are generally oval shaped, pink to beige and up to 2 cm long.These cause the stem to bend and may progress to infect the pods and seeds.

Anthracnose is potentially the most highly destructive disease of lupins.It can infect all species of lupins but is more likely to cause severe damage on albus lupins. Crop losses range from 10-100 per cent in albus lupins (Lupinus albus) and 10-50 per cent in narrow leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius).

Control:

• Treat the seed with a recommended seed treatment (Thiraflo).
• Hot water dips at 48ûC for 20 min is an effective treatment for reducing anthracnose incidence. Although hot water dips do not completely eliminate anthracnose the reduction in disease is economically significant.
• Sow disease free seed.
• Orchard sprays applied at 14 - 28 day intervals, depending on rainfall, with an appropriate protective fungicide is commonly recommended.