Field Crop Disease Management

Bulletin 631-98

Oat Diseases

In the past, oat diseases have resulted in considerable yield losses. Many of these diseases are no longer important since the development of resistant varieties. Diseases that have caused problems in recent years include loose smut, covered smut, and barley yellow dwarf virus.

Several new resistant varieties are available for control of barley yellow dwarf virus (See virus diseases in the wheat section). Only seed guaranteed to be free of the smut diseases or seed treated with a fungicide to control smut diseases should be planted.

Oat Disease Management Summary

1. Choose varieties with resistance to barley yellow dwarf.

2. Plant only well-cleaned, disease-free seed treated with a fungicide seed treatment for smut diseases.

3. Plant as early in the spring as the soil conditions permit. (March to early April).

4. Rotate oat crops with other grain and forage crops. A two- to three-year rotation is sufficient.