Beet Blight Apr 2026

Originally known simply as "beet blight," this disease nearly destroyed the sugar beet industry in the Western United States during the early 1900s.

While Curly Top is the historical "blight," modern growers may use the term for other destructive conditions: Southern Blight ( Sclerotium rolfsii )

Darkened vascular rings inside the beet root. beet blight

Sharp, wart-like protuberances on the underside of leaves.

Severely infected plants remain small and fail to produce sugar content. Originally known simply as "beet blight," this disease

A soil-borne fungus that causes sudden wilting and yellowing.

Pathogenic bacteria that cause leaf spots and systemic decline. Originally known simply as "beet blight

Successive crop failures led to the abandonment of numerous sugar factories in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. 🍄 Other Diseases Often Called "Blight"