A major fungal disease of alfalfa, verticillium wilt, has turned up in the previously disease-free fields of Northeastern California. According to UC farm advisor Dan Marcum, the disease, which causes alfalfa plants to wilt and lose their leaves, appeared late this summer in alfalfa fields near Susanville and Butte Valley. The plants become stunted and eventually die, shortening their lifespan from eight years to three years. The appearance of the disease is of particular concern to hay producers in the growing region that includes parts of Siskiyou, Modoc, Shasta and Lassen counties, where alfalfa is a major crop. Intermountain hay has a widespread reputation for high quality and is in strong demand by the state's dairy industry. "There is no treatment for the disease," says Marcum. "Instead, growers are encouraged to switch to disease-resistant varieties." The disease is believed to have originated in Europe, where it has been a problem since the early 1900s. It was first reported in the United States in 1976 and has since become a serious problem in several western states.