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Claviceps gigantea (ergot of corn, horse's tooth )
Claviceps gigantea
ergot of corn, horse's tooth
Sphacelia sp.
Mexico
Not known to occur
2025-08-05
fungus
Korea
Main: corn
CLAVGI
Claviceps gigantea can be carried and spread through seed, especially when sclerotia replace kernels and are harvested with the maize. These contaminated seeds are a key way the fungus spreads.
1 Known Hosts
Zea mays
corn
Yes
CLAVGI-2, CLAVGI-3, CLAVGI-4, CABI CPC
Sclerotia of this fungus replace kernels, but are easily identified and easily removed from seed. This disease is of relatively low importance and is isolated to mountainous regions of Mexico.
Yes
Visual examination of seed
AOSA rules or ISTA rules for testing seed lots for physical purity should identify all and any sclerotia from a fungal infection.
Physical purity tests, Visual examination of seeds
CABI CPC
A quality seed production operation that includes seed cleaning and conditioning, and seed testing should remove all sclerotia from seed lots. Avoid seed production in Mexico mountain regions.
2025-08-05 16:39:37
CLAVGI-2
Fuentes SF; de la Isla ML; Ullstrup AJ; Rodriguez AE, 1964. Claviceps gigantea, a new pathogen of maize in Mexico. Phytopathology, 54:379-381.
CLAVGI-3
Ullstrup AJ, 1973. Maize ergot: a disease with a restricted ecological niche. PANS 19:389-391
CLAVGI-4
Richardson MJ, 1990. An annotated list of seed-borne diseases. Zurich, Switzerland: The International Seed-Testing Association, Zurich, Switzerland
CABI CPC
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
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