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Sorghum Diseases in India

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10 mm<br />

Mycelia <strong>in</strong>vade<br />

develop<strong>in</strong>g<br />

florets<br />

Screen<strong>in</strong>g techniques<br />

Emerg<strong>in</strong>g panicle<br />

is <strong>in</strong>fected<br />

Screen<strong>in</strong>g techniques were standardized by<br />

us<strong>in</strong>g a s<strong>in</strong>gle petri dish of a 72-h sporidial culture<br />

harvested <strong>in</strong> one liter of water. The teliospore<br />

<strong>in</strong>oculum consisted of two smutted<br />

seeds L -1 of water. Three mL <strong>in</strong>oculum were <strong>in</strong>jected<br />

per head. The results (Table 2) <strong>in</strong>dicate the<br />

superiority of teliospore <strong>in</strong>oculum over sporidia;<br />

98% of the teliospore <strong>in</strong>oculum <strong>in</strong>jections resulted<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fection, compared to 62% for <strong>in</strong>oculations<br />

made with sporidia.<br />

With<strong>in</strong> season<br />

<strong>in</strong>fection<br />

W<strong>in</strong>d<br />

dissem<strong>in</strong>ates spores<br />

onto flag leaves<br />

I<br />

II<br />

Teliospores overseason<br />

<strong>in</strong> protective sporeballs<br />

on the soil<br />

Figure 3. Life cycle of Tolyposporium ehrenbergii, causal agent of long smut.<br />

Between<br />

season<br />

<strong>in</strong>fection<br />

300 µm<br />

Disease <strong>in</strong>tensity was highest with the fresh<br />

teliospores. The method is reliable, and can be<br />

easily adapted <strong>in</strong>to a breed<strong>in</strong>g program. It is<br />

particularly efficient when us<strong>in</strong>g an automatically<br />

refill<strong>in</strong>g syr<strong>in</strong>ge. Agitation of the conta<strong>in</strong>er<br />

is necessary for uniform delivery.<br />

In areas where annual recurrence of the disease<br />

is certa<strong>in</strong>, the screen<strong>in</strong>g can be done<br />

through <strong>in</strong>oculat<strong>in</strong>g early susceptible border<br />

rows, which are left for natural spread. The<br />

method hopefully helps <strong>in</strong> explor<strong>in</strong>g all possible<br />

means of plant resistance.<br />

249

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