Show serious injury to alfalfa crop bacterial wilt wilf and winter winte r injury discussed in new circular prepared ly by th tha un united tied states department ot 0 agriculture alture ul ture bacterial wilt and winter injury have caus caused ed is 13 recent years serious injury to alfalfa in many alfalfa growing in sections of tile the country the two injuries are definitely distinct and either may occur without the other othe r although winter injury frequently gives rise to conditions which it take make for the more ra rapid pid and destra destructive development ve lit of bacterial wilt F 1 it II jones and J L welmer of the bureau of plant I 1 industry sire are authors au ebors of circular 39 0 bacterial wilt and winter injury of alfalfa just off tile press find and available for free distribution hy by the alie united states deportment of agi agriculture washington bacterial wilt vilt way may cause tile plant alanl to wilt during hot weather lier of spring or suni summer find under this condition condit condition iol the plants die immediately re resembling plants whose roots have been severed by go gop pliers ars moro frequently the plants show a characteristic dvar dwarfed fd condition with tollage collage pule paid green ur or yellow after each successive cutting the new steins tire are shorter and eventually the plant diee die the injury Is due to entering the underground parts pans of the plant causing alterations which may be observed readily in the roots winter intel injury inmost evident in the uproot taproot und and Is characterized by partin I 1 destruction of the root and crown bark find and a hollowing und and decay or of tile roots the destruction oi of tile the root bark affords easy access for the bacteria winter injury results from the killing of buds and parts of the cromi fill and roots severe cold tile the most important method of ann on trolling thewalt the wilt disease say tile the sitt nu thors Is probably pl tile the prevent ln of ilie the conveyance of bacteria by water from old diseased plants to young fields clods especial in the spring when many fanny plants have wounds cine da re should he taken to avold carrying tile the huc Nic terla jt to new jn in fragments of stells steins of diseased plants plant with un cleaned seed or with manure if ali disease Is present in a held field its ds dl by ahe lie halves of nf the mower can probably te be avoided to some soine extent by ni olig when the plants are tree free from surface moisture the use of hardy varieties of alfalfa rel resistant stant to winter injury does not pt always preat damage by bacterial wilt but hu the authors believe it maya reduce loss front from this fills cause |