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Sphacelotheca reiliana (head smut of maize )
Sphacelotheca reiliana
head smut of maize
Sorosporium holci-sorghi, Sorosporium holci-sorghi f. sp. zeae, Sorosporium reilianum, Sporisorium reilianum, Ustilago reiliana, Ustilago reiliana f. sp. zeae, Cintractia reiliana, Ustilago abortifera, Ustilago holci-sorghi, Sporisorium holci-sorghi, Sphacelotheca holci-sorghi, Ustilago pulveracea, Sorosporium simii
Worldwide
Widespread
2022-12-01
fungus
Thailand
Primarily a pathogen of sorghum. Corn and other grasses are hosts
SPHTRE
Usually only associated with seed lots as loose spores. Primarily soil borne. Not an economically important disease anywhere.
2 Known Hosts
Sorghum bicolor
sorghum
No
SPHTRE-5
Pathway not proven. Spores are associated with seed lots, but no evidence that it is seed borne. Much like corn, seed transmission is rare and seed treatments and cleaning are effective in reducing contamination.
Fungicide seed treatments.
Seed cleaning and conditioning effectively control this pathogen in seed lots.
SPHTRE-1, SPHTRE-5
SPHTRE-5
LK Edmunds and N Zummo. 1975. Sorghum diseases in the United States and their control. ARS USDA, Washington DC.
SPHTRE-1
Sphacelotheca reiliana In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Zea mays
corn
No
SPHTRE-2, SPHTRE-3, SPHTRE-4
Pathway not proven. Unattached spores may accompany the seed lot, but there is no evidence that the pathogen is seed borne. In laboratory experiments, some researchers demonstrated transmission when mixing spores with seeds, but natural transmission was not reported. Head smut causes relatively minor losses in most cases. Infected ears typically do not produce kernels.
Yes
Seed Wash Test
This test looks for unattached spores in a seed lot. This method is the standard method of the NSHS.
The wash test is a NSHS standard method.
SPHTRE-4, SPHTRE-6
Fungicide treatments are available and effective in controlling spores associated with the seed lot. 
Seed treatements are effective in controlling spores associated with the seed lot.
SPHTRE-1, SPHTRE-2
SPHTRE-2
McGee, DC. 1988. Maize Diseases: A reference Source for Seed Technologists. APS Press, St. Paul, MN USA. 150 pp.
SPHTRE-3
Bressman EN and Barss HP. 1933. Experiments with head smut of corn in Western Oregon. Phytopathology, 23:396-403
SPHTRE-4
Kruger W, 1962. Sphacelotheca reiliana in maize.I Infection and control studies. South Afr. J. Agric. Sci., 5:43-56.
SPHTRE-6
Seed Health Testing Method for U. maydis and S. reiliana Mz 4.1 National Seed Health System, 2019. www.seedhealth.org
SPHTRE-1
Sphacelotheca reiliana In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
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