How Does Crop Sequence Affect Plant Diseases?
A reduction in traditional wheat fallow and a concurrent increase in use of no-tillage have contributed to greater cropping system diversity throughout the Great Plains (Tanaka et al., 2002). In a region once dominated by hard red spring wheat, there are currently upward of 16 major crops planted annually (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2004), with new crops being introduced each year. While this increase in crop diversity has provided producers with greater economic opportunities, it has also increased management demands. Management of plant diseases, in particular, has increased in complexity with additional crops, as each crop possesses unique susceptibilities to pathogens depending on the environment in which it is grown (Krupinsky et al., 2002). Understanding individual crop environment interactions within diverse cropping systems, then, is essential to minimize plant disease risks. One of the most effective and inexpensive methods to control plant diseases in cropping
