Diseases

Smut

Ustilaginomycetes

Smut is a group of cereal diseases caused by fungi, in which plant tissues are destroyed and replaced by a mass of black or dark brown spores. The disease is difficult to diagnose until the heading stage, yet it can lead to the loss of half the crop yield.

Mentioned in descriptions 5 110 varieties reference book.

Smut manifests as the destruction of plant tissues, which are replaced by a powdery mass of teliospores. In the case of loose smut, the entire ear is affected, becoming dusty, while its rachis often remains bare. Covered smut is characterized by the preservation of the grain coat, inside which the mycelium develops; when crushed, a specific "herring" odor is detected.

The development of the disease depends on the biological characteristics of the pathogen and environmental conditions. Loose smut infects the plant during the flowering phase under high humidity and temperatures from +22 to +27 °C, overwintering inside the grain. Covered smut infects the plant during the seed germination period from inoculum present on the surface of the caryopsis or in the soil.

Varietal resistance is provided by genetic mechanisms that prevent the pathogen from penetrating the ovary or block the development of mycelium in the seedling. In the variety testing system, the degree of infection is assessed visually at the full maturity stage, and varieties demonstrating a minimal percentage of infected ears compared to the standards receive higher ratings.

Sources10

Breakdown by crop

Common Smut of Maize 777 Maize Smut 300 Smut — Common Wheat 218 Barley Smut 162 Smut in Sweet Corn 44 Smut of oats 31 Smut of Kentucky bluegrass 24 Bunt of Durum Wheat 22 Loose smut of millet 18 Triticale Loose and Bunt Smut 16 Sorghum Smut 6 Loose smut of Triticum monococcum L. 6 Spelt smut 5 Smut — naked oats 5 Smut of grain sorghum 5 Smut in soft wheat 4 Rice Smut 3 Head Smut of Rescue Grass 3 Wheat Smut 3

Found in these crops

Maize 792 Maize 303 Bread wheat 220 Barley 167 Sweet corn 46 Oat 33 Kentucky bluegrass 24 Durum wheat 23 Proso millet 20 Triticale 18 Sorghum 7 Einkorn wheat 6

Varieties that feature this in their description

Selection based on the description text, not official resistance ratings: such data is not available in registers. Mention indicates that the trait is discussed in the variety's sources; see the variety's profile for details on what is specifically stated.

Vero

Terminated

Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Maize Group) · Maize

1 record

SY Torino

Active

Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Maize Group) · Maize

1 record

P1015

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Text source

This summary is compiled from the publications listed in the sources and verified by an editor. It contains no legally significant information; it provides agronomic context for registry data rather than the registry data itself.