Diagnosing autumn-winter drought in narrow-leafed lupins
Early drought may affect germination and early growth. Water stressed seedlings are more severely affected by other constraints and may have induced nutrient deficiencies.
What to look for
- Patchy germination that may vary across the paddock according to seeding depth, soil type or other factors that affect soil moisture infiltration and storage.
Paddock
- Dull coloured plants with leaflets folded in giving them a narrow look.
- Plants that have wilted and died.
Plant
What else could it be
| Condition | Similarities | Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosing water repellence | Patchy germination | Only in water repellent soil. |
| Diagnosing rhizoctonia hypocotyl rot in narrow-leafed lupins | Patchy germination, stunted , dying seedlings. | Red-brown hypocotyl lesions. |
| Diagnosing rhizoctonia ZG6 in narrow-leafed lupins | Patchy germination, stunted , dying seedlings. | Red-brown hypocotyl and root lesions. |
| Diagnosing pleiochaeta root rot in narrow-leafed lupins | Patchy germination, stunted, dying seedlings. | Dark-brown hypocotyl and root lesions. |
How can it be monitored?
Soil test
- Unless the problem is obviously due to drought, dig a hole and examine the soil profile for:
- water content
- soil texture
- soil pH
- water repellence
Page last updated: Tuesday, 20 January 2015 - 10:30am