All summer long there’s been reports of Microdochium Patch infections rumbling on. We now have to be prepared for the pathogen to be present this autumn - and get a strategy in place to prevent it flaring up.

​

The key consideration is that leaf moisture drives infection, whilst temperature dictates the speed and aggressiveness when it happens.

Research has shown that the microdochium nivalle pathogen is progressively more active at higher temperatures. However, it also needs moisture

to thrive – which is typically the limiting factor that prevents its development in summer conditions. That’s possibly one of the reasons we have seen so many outbreaks over periods of persistently wet conditions this sumer, particularly in the south of England.