Regional Development of Orchardgrass Choke and Estimation of Seed Yield Loss

A survey for choke, caused by Epichloë typhina, in orchardgrass seed-production fields in Oregon was conducted annually from 1998 to 2003. In all, 99 fields were inspected, 57 in more than 1 year, to produce a set of 217 observations on disease incidence. There was a significant increase in disease incidence in 38% of the revisited fields, and a significant reduction of incidence in 3%. Yearly increases in disease incidence were as high as 29% in individual fields, but the average yearly increase from 1999 to 2003 was 5 to 8%. In 1998, 60% of all surveyed fields were infested with choke and, by 2003, 90% were infested. Average disease incidence in fields in their first year of production was <2%, and average disease incidence in older fields was approximately 10%, in 2003. Seed yield loss was equal to disease incidence (percentage of tillers diseased), and we found no significant yield compensation in diseased stands. An observed correlation of disease incidence with disease prevalence (proportion of sampled sites infested w ithin a field) may permit simple estimation of incidence and, thus, of potential economic loss in an affected field. We estimate regional loss to the 2004 orchardgrass seed crop due to choke o be approximately $0.8 million.