Anthracnose

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

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Anthracnose is potentially the most highly destructive disease of lupins. It was first found in Western Australia in 1996 and by the end of that year had been found in five other states. It can infect all species of lupins but is more likely to cause severe damage on albus lupins. Crop losses range from 10-100 per cent in albus lupins (Lupinus albus) and 10-50 per cent in narrow leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius).

Life cycle

Anthracnose is largely a seed borne disease, but may be spread on trash, machinery or by animals and birds. Seedlings that emerge from infected seed can develop lesions on the root, hypocotyl or cotyledons. Lesions are generally oval shaped, pink to beige and up to 2 cm long. These cause the stem to bend and may progress to infect the pods and seeds.

Lesions produce an abundance of spores that are spread through the crop by rain-splash. Anthracnose can survive over summer on crop residues; spores are subsequently spread by rain-splash to infect newly emerged seedlings.