Diseases
Oryza sativa L.
The term encompasses a complex of rice diseases: rice false smut (Ustilaginoidea virens), kernel smut (Tilletia horrida), and leaf smut (Entyloma oryzae). These infections differ in their pathogens and the nature of damage to vegetative organs or grain.
In the reference 3 varieties crop Rice, where this is mentioned in the description.
False smut is caused by the ascomycete Ustilaginoidea virens and affects the spikelets, transforming them into characteristic velvety structures ranging from yellow to black in color, which accumulate mycotoxins. Kernel smut, caused by Tilletia horrida, affects the grain endosperm, replacing it with a black spore mass that is detected during threshing. Leaf smut (Entyloma oryzae) manifests as small black angular spots on the leaves, resembling a dusting of ground pepper.
Unlike rice blast, standardized pathotype systems have not been developed for rice smut pathogens, and the use of specific resistance genes in commercial breeding is limited. Currently, gene editing methods are employed in breeding, such as targeting the BLM1 or RBL1 genes. Resistance of cultivars to these pathogens is typically classified as field or relative tolerance, depending on the morphological characteristics of the panicle and the developmental stages of the crop.
General information about the subject — on the page Smut.
Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.