Diseases

Smut of grain sorghum

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. bicolor

A disease of grain sorghum caused by the fungi Sporisorium reilianum, S. cruentum, and S. sorghi, manifesting in the destruction of the plant's reproductive organs and their replacement with a mass of spores.

In the reference 5 varieties crop Sorghum, where this is mentioned in the description.

The disease is represented by three main types. Head smut, caused by Sporisorium reilianum, converts the inflorescence into a large black sorus, often provoking proliferation and rosette formation. Loose kernel smut (Sporisorium cruentum) affects ovaries and glumes, giving the panicle the appearance of a charred torch with a central column (columella), while covered kernel smut (Sporisorium sorghi) is characterized by the replacement of individual grains with small sori with a dense membrane.

Head smut infection spreads primarily through the soil during seed germination, whereas covered kernel smut is transmitted mainly through seeds. Although biological forms specific to hosts have been described for these pathogens, in breeding and agronomic practice, variety resistance is more often recorded as a qualitative trait rather than through a standardized system of immunity genes.

General information about the subject — on the page Smut.

Sources8

Varieties of Sorghum mentioned in the description

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.