Art’s yellow, stunted alfalfa was suffering from aphanomyces root rot.
This investigation was first published back in May 2010. Despite some editorial nudging in subsequent months, no one solved the mystery – until recently!
Similar to phytophthora root rot, aphanomyces is considered a major cause of disease in alfalfa seedlings, particularly in wet soil conditions. But, while there are seed treatments available to protect seed against phytophthora and other soil-borne diseases, no seed treatment product offers protection against aphanomyces.