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Sorghum Diseases in India

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eases that could be expected to cause problems<br />

when climatic conditions are appropriate. Inoculum<br />

levels of Macrophom<strong>in</strong>a phaseol<strong>in</strong>a are probably<br />

high <strong>in</strong> most soils <strong>in</strong> southern France,<br />

where it is an important pathogen of several<br />

crops, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g sunflower and soybean (Davet<br />

et al. 1986).<br />

Fusarium spp have also been reported caus<strong>in</strong>g<br />

stalk rots of maize throughout France<br />

(Rouhani et al. 1979). Acremonium wilt appears<br />

to be present, at least <strong>in</strong> breeders' nurseries, but<br />

there is no evidence of an important <strong>in</strong>cidence <strong>in</strong><br />

production fields.<br />

Foliar Disease<br />

The Mediterranean summer is characterized by<br />

warm days, cool nights, and low ra<strong>in</strong>fall. Consequently,<br />

one could easily assume that foliar<br />

diseases are not a problem. Last year the author,<br />

search<strong>in</strong>g for foliar diseases, visited several sorghum<br />

fields just before harvest. None were<br />

found.<br />

Viral <strong>Diseases</strong><br />

Maize downy mosaic virus (MDMV) is prevalent<br />

throughout the sorghum-grow<strong>in</strong>g regions of<br />

southern Europe (P. Signoret, personal communication),<br />

and has been reported <strong>in</strong> France, Italy,<br />

and Yugoslavia. MDMV-B probably occurs <strong>in</strong><br />

Yugoslavia (R. Toler, personal communication).<br />

Viruses are currently controlled by resistance<br />

found <strong>in</strong> materials com<strong>in</strong>g from major <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />

seed companies, many of which are active<br />

<strong>in</strong> the region.<br />

Bacterial <strong>Diseases</strong><br />

There are no recent records of bacterial diseases<br />

occurr<strong>in</strong>g on sorghum <strong>in</strong> Europe.<br />

References<br />

Castor, L.L., and Frederiksen, R.A. 1981. Fusarium<br />

head blight occurrence and effects on<br />

sorghum yield and gra<strong>in</strong> characteristics <strong>in</strong> Texas.<br />

Plant Disease 64:1017-1019.<br />

Davet, P., Herbach, M., Rabat, M., and Piquemal,<br />

G. 1986. Effet de quelques facteurs <strong>in</strong>tr<strong>in</strong>seques<br />

ou extr<strong>in</strong>seques d'affaiblissement des<br />

tournesols sur leur sensibilite au dessechement<br />

precoce. Agronomie 6:803-810.<br />

EUROSTAT. 1987. Crop production quarterly<br />

statistics. Brussels, Belgium: CECA-CEE-CEEA.<br />

Gaudet, D.A., and Major, D.J. 1986. Factors affect<strong>in</strong>g<br />

seedl<strong>in</strong>g emergence of sorghum for<br />

short-season areas. Plant Disease 70:572-575.<br />

Rouhani, H., Davet, P., Po<strong>in</strong>so, B., Beyries, A.,<br />

and Messiaen, C.M. 1979. Inventaire et evaluation<br />

du pouvoir pathogene des composants de la<br />

microflore fongique sur rac<strong>in</strong>es de mais en<br />

France. Annales de Phytopathologie 11:69-93.<br />

Ruiz, M. 1979. Recherche d'une technique d'<strong>in</strong>oculation<br />

et du comportement du gra<strong>in</strong> de sorghum<br />

vis-a-vis de quelques moisissures. ENSA,<br />

34060 Montpellier, France: DAA Chaire de Biologie<br />

et Pathologie Vegetales. 43 pp.<br />

Sifaw, M. 1978. Etude de la mycoflore des sentences<br />

du sorgho en France. ENSA Montpellier,<br />

France: D.E.S. 57 pp.<br />

91

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