OSMAN, Z., HASSAN, S., SEHLY, M., SALEM, E. (1999). KERNEL SMUT OF BARNYARD GRASS (ECHINOCLOA CRUS-GALLI) IN EGYPT. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 77(4), 1455-1465. doi: 10.21608/ejar.1999.342061
ZAREF H. OSMAN; SAMY M. HASSAN; MOHAMED R. SEHLY; ESSA A. SALEM. "KERNEL SMUT OF BARNYARD GRASS (ECHINOCLOA CRUS-GALLI) IN EGYPT". Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 77, 4, 1999, 1455-1465. doi: 10.21608/ejar.1999.342061
OSMAN, Z., HASSAN, S., SEHLY, M., SALEM, E. (1999). 'KERNEL SMUT OF BARNYARD GRASS (ECHINOCLOA CRUS-GALLI) IN EGYPT', Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 77(4), pp. 1455-1465. doi: 10.21608/ejar.1999.342061
OSMAN, Z., HASSAN, S., SEHLY, M., SALEM, E. KERNEL SMUT OF BARNYARD GRASS (ECHINOCLOA CRUS-GALLI) IN EGYPT. Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Research, 1999; 77(4): 1455-1465. doi: 10.21608/ejar.1999.342061
KERNEL SMUT OF BARNYARD GRASS (ECHINOCLOA CRUS-GALLI) IN EGYPT
1Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
2Field Crops Research institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
Abstract
Echinocloa crus-galli (Barnyard grass) is considered one of the most serious weeds in rice fields. Three years ago some smutted kernels of E.crus-galli. were observed. The causal fungus was isolated in Egypt and identified as Ustilago trichophoron (Link) Konicke det by Dr. J.E.M. Mordue (International Mycological Institute, U.K). The fungus produces sod in scattered flowers and on stems as bullate bodies from a few mm in diameter to 10 cm long swellings covered by a hispid membrane composed of an inner fungal layer and an outer layer of host origin. This study included different methods of inoculation to find the techniques to control or to minimize the seed residuals of this kind of weed in the fields and to avoid using herbicide as possible. In the greenhouse, seeds of E.crus-gaffi were soaked either in suspensions of ustilospores or sporidia or incorporated directly with dry spores prior to seeding. Low disease incidence and severity of infection were observed which did not exceed 3.0 and 3.5% respectively. In case of injection at booting stage or spray the sporidial suspension just after heading (flowering) or one week tater, the highest disease severities of 47.5%, 56% and 31 respectively were observed. However, no smutted kernels appeared in case of spraying spore suspension at either tillering or maturity stages. Under field conditions injected plants at booting or plants sprayed at flowering stage resulted in a disease severity of 25.5% and 44% respectively. No symptoms were observed on the tested four rice cultivars namely, Giza 171, Giza 176, Giza 177 and Giza 181 subjected to the same treatments, indicating the specificity of the pathogen to this weed.