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Causal organism Colletotrichum graminicola Puccinia purpurea Claviceps sorghi or Sphacellia sorghi
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Grain Smut / Kernal Smut / Covered Smut Sphacelotheca sorghi / Short Smut Sporisorium sorghi Charcoal Rot / Hollow Stem / Stalk Rot Blight Downy Mildew or Leaf Shredding Phanerogamic Parasite ( Striga or Witch Weed ) Macrophomina phaseolina Peronosclerospora sorghi Striga asiatica or Striga densiflora
Symptoms : Small red coloured spots on leaf. Whitish centre encircled by red, purple or brown margin. Numerous small black dots are seen on the white surface of the lesions which are the fruiting bodies (acervuli) of the fungus, Many lesions coalesce and kill large leaf portions. In midrib region, elongate elliptical, red or purple regions with black acervuli are formed Development of circular cankers on Stalk and inflorescence Infected stem when split open shows discoloration, which may be continuous over a large area or more generally discontinuous giving the stem a marbled appearance.
Disease cycle
Primary Infection : Collateral host: Secondary Infection : Fungus present in Seed, and IPD Johnson grass, Sudan grass, maize, barley and wheat Wind born Conidia
Management Destruction of infected plant debris and collateral hosts Crop rotation with non-host crops Grow resistant varieties like SPV 162, CSV 17, Texas Milo and Tift sudan etc Treat the seeds with Captan or Thiram @3 g/kg. Spray the crop with Mancozeb @0.25% or carbendazim@0.1%
Puccinia purpurea
Symptoms
Small reddish brown flecks on the lower surface of the leaf
Pustules (uredosori) appear on both surfaces of leaf as purplish spots which rupture
Secondary Infection
long cycled rust Alternate host : Oxalis corniculata (aecial and pycnial stage) Wind born uridospores
Favourable Conditions
Low temperature 10 to 120C
rainy weather
Management
Grow resistant varieties like CSH 5, SPV 13, 81, 126, PSH 1, CSV 17, etc.
Remove and destroy the alternate host Oxalis corniculata. Spray the crop with Mancozeb @0.25% Dusting of sulphur@25 kg/ha
Oxalis corniculata
Symptoms
The disease is confined to individual spikelets.
Secretion of honey dew (creamy sticky liquid) from infected florets. The honey dew
secretion attracts large number of insects and ants which help in spreading the disease.
Often the honey dew is colonized by Cerebella sorghivulgaris which gives the head a
blackened appearance.
Under favourable conditions, grain is replaced by long (1-2cm), straight or curved, cream to
At the base of the affected plants white spots can be seen on the soil surface, denoting the drops of honey dew which had fallen on the soil.
Disease cycle
Primary infection Secondary Infection 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. :
Favourable Conditions
Sclerotia germinates & produce ascospores Air and insect born conidia & conidia also spreads through Wind splash rain water
High rainfall High humidity during flowering season. Cool night temperature (20-25 0C) Cloudy weather during anthesis Male sterile lines are highly susceptible.
Management
Adjust the date of sowing so that the crop does not flower during the periods of high
cent flowering stage) followed by a spray at 50 per cent flowering and repeat the spray after a week, if necessary.
Control of ergot with fungicides such as Propiconazole or Tebuconazole has proved to be
Symptoms
If rains occur during the flowering and grain filling stages, severe grain moulding can occur. Infected grains are covered with pink or black mold and such grains disintegrate during threshing process. Fusarium semitectum and F.moniliforme develop a fluffy white or pinkish colouration. C. lunata colours the grain black. Fungi from many genera have been isolated from the infected sorghum grains and the most frequently occurring genera are Fusarium, Curvularia, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cheatomium, Rhizopus, Helminthosporium and Phoma. Moldy grains contain toxic mycotoxins and are unfit for human consumption and cattle feed.
Disease cycle
The fungi mainly spread through air-borne conidia. The fungi survive as parasites as well as saprophytes in the infected plant debris.
Favourable Conditions
Wet weather following the flowering favours grain mould development and the longer the wet period the greater the mould development. Compact ear heads are highly susceptible.
Management
Adjust the sowing time Grow resistant varieties like GMRP 4, GMRP 9, GMRP 13 and tolerant varieties like CSV
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Seed disinfestation with Thiram@0.3% will prevent seedling infection. Spray Mancozeb (0.25%) or captan (0.2%) or captan 2g + Aureofungin 200ppm per liter,
in case of intermittent rainfall during earhead emergence, a week later and during milky stage.
Leaf blight or leaf stripe Exserohilum turcicum or Trichometasphaeria turcica (Syn : Helminthosporium turcicum or Drechslera turcicum)
Symptoms
The leaf blight pathogen also causes seed rot and seedling blight of sorghum.
margins.
Many lesions coalesce on the leaves, destroying large areas of leaf tissue giving the crop a distinctly burnt appearance leading to premature drying of leaves.
Fungus present in Seed, Soil and IPD Seed or Wind born Conidia
Symptoms
The disease appears at the time of grain formation in the ear. The individual grains are replaced by smut sori (dirty white to gray ) and are covered with a tough white cream to light brown skin (peridium). The glumes are unaltered and may be found adhering to the sides of the sorus. Sometimes the stamens may develop normally protruding out of the sorus. Ratoon crops exhibit higher incidence of disease.
Disease cycle
Primary Infection Secondary Infection : : Externally seed borne and systemic Wind born Sporidia
Use disease free seeds. Grow resistant varieties like T 29/1, PJ 7K, PJ 23K, Nandyal and Bilichigan. Treat the seed with fine sulphur powder @0.5% or Captan or Thiram @0.3%. Follow crop rotation. Collect the smutted ear heads in cloth bags and dip in boiling water.
Charcoal rot or hollow stem or stalk rot blight Macrophomina phaseolina Symptoms
Sudden Wilting and Death of the diseased plant resulting in Lodging. If the infected stalk is split open, the pith is disintegrated with longitudinal shredding of the
tissue into fibers. Small black sclerotial bodies are seen in the infected tissues.
The stem, breaks near the ground level. Premature ripening takes place and the heads are
poorly developed.
Disease cycle
Primary Infection : sclerotial bodies present in the Soil, IPD, Weed Host sclerotial bodies carried through Rain or irrigated water
Secondary Infection
Favourable conditions
Soil temperature 35 0 C Moisture stress conditions preceding crop maturity High dose of nitrogenous fertilizers
Management
Thin plant population (60,000 plants/ha) Collected and burning of infected plants along with trash Avoid moisture stress at flowering
Grow resistant varieties like E-36-1, CSV 5, CSH 7-R, SPV 126 and SPV 193.
Symptoms Downy whitish growth is produced on the lower surface of the leaves. White streaks appear on both the surfaces of the leaves. The tissues then tear along the streaks causing Leaf shredding of the leaves. The tissue then turns brown in colour. Numerous oospores are found in the shredded leaves. The affected parts are stunted and sterile. Disease cycle Primary Infection : Secondary Infection: Favourable Conditions Relative humidity 100 % Optimum temperature 21-23 0 C Light drizzling Cool weather
Management
Destroyal of affected plants by burning before oospore formation, reduce
Symptoms
Sorghum root exudates stimulate the seeds of the parasite to germinate.
Parasite attach to the Host root by haustoria and grow below the soil surface and produce underground stems and roots for about 1-2 months.
The parasite grows faster and appears at the base of the plant.
Severe infestation causes Yellowing and wilting of the host leaves. Stunted growth and may die prior to seed setting, if the infection occurs early
Disease cycle
Primary Infection : Secondary Infection : Seeds present in the Soil.
Favourable Conditions
Soil temperature 350 C soil moisture 30 %
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Hand weeding of the parasites before flowering. Crop rotation with cowpea, groundnut and sunflower. Mixing of Ethrel with soil triggers germination of Striga in the absence of host. Spray Fernoxone (sodium salt of 2,4-D) or Agroxone (MCPA) at 450g/500 liters of water or Praquat @ 1 kg/ha. 1% Tetrachloro dimethyl phenoxy acetate can be used for instant killing of Striga, if water is in scarce.
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