Panicum spp.
proso millet
2 Related Pests
Sphacelotheca destruens
fungus
Anthracocystis destruens, Caeoma destruens, Sporisorium destruens, Tilletia destruens, Uredo destruens, Ustilago destruens, Sphacelotheca lioui, Sorosporium manchuricum, Sphacelotheca panici-miliacei var. manchurica, Sphacelotheca manchurica, Uredo segetum d panici-millacei, Ustilago panici-miliacei, Sphacelotheca panici-miliacei, Sorosporium panici-miliacei, Sphacelotheca panici-miliacei var. panici-miliacei
Worldwide
NE, KS, FL, CA, CO, MN, WA, WI, WY, ND
Korea
2025-11-07
Sphacelotheca destruens is a smut fungus that produces dark, powdery spore masses inside affected plant parts. The fungus survives in the soil or on seeds and can infect new plants as they grow. It spreads mainly through contaminated seed or soil.
Panicum grasses and millet
Yes
SPHTDE-2, SPHTDE-3, SPHTDE-4, SPHTDE-5, SPHTDE-6, SPHTDE-7
Panicum seed is a confirmed pathway. Sphacelotheca destruens infects millet by growing inside the developing floral tissues and replacing the grains with dark, powdery smut spores.
SPHTDE-2, SPHTDE-3, SPHTDE-4, SPHTDE-5, SPHTDE-6, SPHTDE-7
biological, chemical
SPHTDE-2, SPHTDE-3
Resistant varieties are common. Seed treatments have shown to be effective.
Berglund DR. 2007. Proso Millet in North Dakota. North Dakota State University Agriculture and University Extension
Fargo, ND
Nelson LA and Kerr ED. 1984. Response of Proso Millet to Fungicide Seed Treatments1. Agron. J.76:723‐726.
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
Ainsworth GC. 1965. Sphacelotheca destruens. IMI Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria. CABI, Wallingford, UK.
Jin, F., Liu, J., Wu, E., Yang, P., Gao, J., Gao, X., & Feng, B. (2021). Leaf Transcriptome Analysis of Broomcorn Millet Uncovers Key Genes and Pathways in Response to Sporisorium destruens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(17), 9542.
Wu, E., Liu, L., Zhu, M., Wu, H., Yang, Q., Li, J., ... & Feng, B. (2022). The life cycle and ultrastructure of the host response of the smut pathogen Anthracocystis destruens on broomcorn millet. Phytopathology, 112(5), 996-1002.
Moesziomyces bullatus
fungus
Sorosporium bullatum,Tolypoderma bullata, Tolyposporium bullatum, Tolyposporium evernium, Moesziomyces evernius, Tolyposporium minus, Tolyposporium paspali, Tolyposporium penicillariae, Moesziomyces penicillariae, Tolyposporium senegalense, Sorosporium senegalense, Ustilago verrucosa
Africa, Asia, India,Germany, Poland, Romania, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Taiwan, Italy, Bulgaria, Mexico
Northeast, Midwest, CA
Korea
2022-12-01
Korea lists this pathogen as Tolyposporidium penicillariae. Pearl millet most common host and seed pathway has been verified for only pearl millet.
millets with male sterility (MOESBU-5)
No
MOESBU-2
Pathway not Proven. Only one reference found indicating seed may be a pathway in Panicum millets. Reference not verified. Seed is a pathway in pearl millets, especially those with male sterility.
MOESBU-2
Richardson MJ, 1990. An Annotated List of Seed-borne Disease. International Seed Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
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