Vetch diseases can cause significant grain and biomass yield losses in addition to affecting the palatability for stock. Grain yield losses of 26 per cent were observed in trials affected with Ascochyta blight and Botrytis grey mould in Nhill during 2020. Given the versatility of vetch as a crop and the disease management practices that can be utilised, it is always important to keep the end use of the crop in mind (i.e. manured, grain, hay or grazed) as this will dictate the economic viability of control options.

There is minimal research into integrated disease management and epidemiology in vetch. Therefore, this chapter has been written with the current knowledge we have and adapting knowledge from similar pathogens in other pulse crops.