Field Guide. cropping and pastoral grazing on flat to rolling country.
Field Guide. cropping and pastoral grazing on flat to rolling country.
Field Guide. cropping and pastoral grazing on flat to rolling country.
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PLANT INDICATORSRoot diseases Assess the prevalence of root diseases by pulling a number of stemsout of the soil <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> carefully examining the root system at, or anytime before, crop maturity.C<strong>on</strong>sider how comm<strong>on</strong>ly root diseases occur in a particular paddockfrom seas<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> seas<strong>on</strong> (see table opposite).POOR SOIL AERATION, high levels of soil saturati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> highmechanical resistance <strong>to</strong> root development due <strong>to</strong> soil structuraldegradati<strong>on</strong> can increase root rot <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> soil-borne pathogens. They canalso reduce the ability of root systems <strong>to</strong> overcome the harmful effectsof pathogens resident in the <strong>to</strong>psoil. Plant diseases encouraged bydegradati<strong>on</strong> of soil structure include Fusarium, Pythium, Phy<strong>to</strong>phthora,Rhizoct<strong>on</strong>ia, Take-all <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.42 VISUAL SOIL ASSESSMENT: Volume 1
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