Ascochyta leaf spot

Life cycle

Pycnidia and mycelium within leaf tissue is thought to survive on crop debris, much like the septoria diseases.

Importance

The disease is of relative minor importance although in individual crops the disease is likely to add to leaf death in the same way as the septoria diseases. Symptoms are often seen later in the season towards the end of grain filling when they are unlikely to cause any yield loss. The teleomorph stage of the fungus (Didymella exitialis) is common in Europe and the air-borne ascospores of the fungus are commonly found in late summer in the UK, where they have been implicated in late summer asthma.