Author
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Goates, Blair |
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Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society
Publication Type: Monograph Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Dwarf bunt is a plant disease, caused by a fungus called Tilletia controversa. The disease is usually associated with fall sown wheat but it also occurs on cultivated barley. Dwarf bunt on cultivated barley has never been an economic problem and is considered an oddity rather than an important barley pathogen. However, the disease occurs on barley only where soil is extensively contaminated with spores from previous infected wheat crops. The most susceptible barley varieties have very little or no disease even in the presence of high levels of inoculum under optimal climatic conditions for disease development. Dwarf bunt occurs only where snow cover persists for several weeks which creates an environment at the soil surface that is essential for the disease to become established in particular areas. Barley or wheat sown in the spring escape infection because of the absence of this critical winter environment. Spores germinating at or near the soil surface eventually produce hyphae that infect seedlings after emergence. As plants mature, the kernels are replaced with a dark brown to black mass of teliospores. Spores are released during harvest which contaminates soil. The spores can remain viable in the soil for at least 10 years. Barley usually lacks sufficient hardiness to withstand the winter in areas where dwarf bunt occurs. Thus, barley usually escapes dwarf bunt because it is typically spring planted in these areas. All barley varieties are highly resistant or immune to infection so further control measures are not currently needed. |
