No-Till: Making It Work - Disease Management

Overall, disease pressures are not worse in no-till production systems. You may get more upper plant diseases - something to consider if you grow horticultural crops, as this could affect crop quality. But in general, there will be fewer root diseases with time. As with weeds and insects, the no-till habitat will be favoured by those diseases that prefer cooler, wetter and less disturbed surface conditions.

Diseases that prefer the cool, moist conditions of no-till are particularly challenging on poorly drained clay soils.

Soil conditions such as seedbed structure will improve in no-till over time, and with that comes a better aerated growth environment for plant roots.

Diseases may have less impact on no-till crops. No-till soils are less drought-prone. Many diseases (especially root rots) have a greater impact on yield in droughty conditions.

Figure 1. Fusarium Ear Mold

Figure 2. Rhizoctonia Root Rot

The best disease treatments are preventative. Remember:

• good soil management reduces incidence of disease - for best management practices that improve soil structure, prevent or reduce soil compaction, as well as increase internal drainage, refer to Soil Management (Best Management Practices).
• seed treatment can help control of seed decay (Phomopsis), damping off
• crop rotations break disease cycles
• rotation becomes even more important with horticulture crops in order to keep disease to a minimum in no-till
• varietal selection - beyond specific disease resistance or tolerance, the key is to look for the better overall performers for your maturity zone
• good crop nutrition helps fight diseases.

Healthy crops form the best defense.

Figure 3. Fusarium Head Blight

Available in Published Version of No-till

• Best Management Practices for Disease Management - chart