quality:correction
Pests and diseases

Pests including the nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci and a variety of herbivorous insects can seriously affect plant health.

Rye is highly susceptible to the ergot fungus. Consumption of ergot-infected rye by humans and animals results in ergotism, which causes convulsions, miscarriage, necrosis of digits, hallucinations and death. Historically, damp northern countries that depended on rye as a staple crop were subject to periodic epidemics. Modern grain-cleaning and milling methods have practically eliminated ergotism, but it remains a risk if food safety vigilance breaks down.

After an absence of 60 years, stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) has returned to Europe in the 2020s. Areas affected include Germany, Russia (Western Siberia), Spain, and Sweden.