Diagnosing wheat loose smut

A fungal disease affecting seed heads, which can cause yield losses and delivery dockages.

Scattered plants with black heads or bare flower stalks.
Seed replaced with a compact mass of dark brown-black powdery spores.
Seed replaced with a compact mass of dark brown-black powdery spores.

What to look for

    Paddock

  • Scattered plants with black heads or bare flower stalks.

    Plant

  • Plants flower earlier than normal.
  • Seed replaced with a compact mass of dark brown-black powdery spores.
  • Bare stalks remain once fungal spores have blown away.

Where did it come from?

  • The disease is carried as a small colony of fungus in the seed, which infects the growing point of the wheat seedling following germination. Infected seed is symptomless.
  • Loose smut is not carried in soil or contaminated machinery.
  • Infection is favoured by rainfall and high humidity during flowering.

Management strategies

Seed dressing fungicide
Seed dressing fungicide
  • Fungicidal seed dressing controls loose smut.
  • Use clean seed if contamination is found.
Source URL: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/mycrop/diagnosing-wheat-loose-smut
This print version was generated at 1:20pm on the 9th of September, 2024.
The original document was last revised at Thu, 16/04/2015 - 10:12am

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Important disclaimer

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.