Effects of Fusarium nivale and F. culmorum on the establishment of four species of pasture grass

Cocksfoot cv. Aberystwyth S 26 and timothy cv. Scots were found to be significantly more susceptible to pre-emergence death caused by Fusarium nivale and F. culmorum than were either perennial ryegrass cv. Gremie, or Italian ryegrass cv. RvP. The extent to which each grass was affected by Fusarium at the pre-emergence stage was markedly influenced by both the air temperature and the level of inoculum present in the soil at the time the seeds were sown. Under all conditions, however, cocksfoot and timothy suffered greater reductions in emergence when sown in soil containing either species of Fusarium than did the ryegrasses.
Evidence is presented which suggests that the extreme susceptibility of cocksfoot and timothy to pre-emergence damage is related to the slow germination of the former and the small seed size of the latter.
In addition to their direct effects on seedling numbers both fungi reduced the vigour of those seedlings which did emerge, cocksfoot and timothy being particularly badly affected.