Diagnosing covered smut in barley
A fungal disease affecting seed heads, which can cause yield losses and delivery penalties.
What to look for
- Scattered black heads in the crop.
- Cloudy masses of black spores can be present during harvesting.
Paddock
- Plants slightly stunted.
- Infected heads may emerge slightly later than healthy heads and become trapped in the boot and emerge from the leaf sheath below the flag leaf.
- Grains are replaced by brown-black balls that release black sooty spores when crushed.
Plant
Where did it come from?
Contaminated soil
- It is seed and soil borne and can be carried in contaminated machinery.
- Spores infect the seedling prior to emergence.
- The smut spores are released during harvest and contaminate clean seed, machinery and soil.
Management strategies
- The disease only affects barley.
- Seed treatments control the disease when applied regularly.
- When infection is high buy new seed from a clean source.
- Use resistant varieties when disease incidence is high.
- Smutted grain deliveries are not accepted for malting.
See also
Where to go for expert help
Page last updated: Thursday, 16 April 2015 - 10:33am