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Agricultural crops :: Cereals :: Ragi

Smut: Melanopsichium eleusinis

Symptom:
  • The disease appears only at the time of grain setting
  • The smutted grains scattered randomly in the ear head
  • The affected grains gets converted into gall like bodies which are bigger than normal grains
  • Greenish swollen grains appear in the initial stages 
  • The greenish sorus turns to pinkish green and finally turn to dirty black colour
       
  PINKISH SORUS ON GRAINS   DIRTY BLACK GRAINS   INFECTED PLANT  

Identification of pathogen:

  • Spores are globose in shape and 7 to 11 microns in diameter
  • The epispore is densely pitted and has a rough surface
  • The spores germinate readily in water, producing septatepromycelia
  • Sporidia are formed on these both terminally and laterally

Managment:

  • Use resistant varieties
         
  Globose shaped spores        
Content Validator: Dr. T.Raguchandar, Professor (Plant Pathology), TNAU, Coimbatore-641003
Thanks to Dr.M.N.Budhar, Professor and Head, Regional Research Station, Paiyur- 65112

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