Tilletia barclayana is a
plant pathogen
Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomyc ...
that infects
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
,
signalgrass,
pearl millet
Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum''; also known as 'Bajra' in Hindi, 'Sajje' in Kannada, 'Kambu' in Tamil, 'Bajeer' in Kumaoni and 'Maiwa' in Hausa, 'Mexoeira' in Mozambique) is the most w ...
, and
crabgrass
''Digitaria'' is a genus of plants in the grass family native to tropical and warm temperate regions but can occur in tropical, subtropical, and cooler temperate regions as well. Common names include crabgrass, finger-grass, and fonio. They are ...
. The pathogen corrupts the crops it infects, causing black busts to appear on the crops, which then become discolored and smutted.
History
Tilletia barclayana can live up to 2 years or more while in a host, and is found largely worldwide. Although the origin of the pathogen is unknown, it was first reported in the 1980s.
Impact
Tilletia barclayana spreads between nearby plants, leading to an increased loss. Due to this impact scientists are attempting to make these crops more resistant to the pathogen. As of now, the main method of controlling the pathogen is by pulling the infected crops directly from the ground.
Control
Out of
salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
and plant extracts of ''
Ammi visnaga
''Visnaga daucoides'' is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by many common names, including toothpick-plant, toothpickweed, bisnaga, khella, or sometimes bishop's weed. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but it ...
'', ''
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted.
The liqu ...
'', ''
Artemisia judaica'', ''
Mentha viridis'', ''
Syzygium aromaticum
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, s ...
'' and ''
Eucalyptus globulus
''Eucalyptus globulus'', commonly known as southern blue gum or blue gum, is a species of tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia. This ''Eucalyptus'' species has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on ...
'', ''
M. viridis'' and ''
S. aromaticum'' were most effective in prevention of ''T. barclayana'' infection.
All the tested solutions did provide some level of protection however.
References
Further reading
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External links
Index FungorumUSDA ARS Fungal Database
Fungal plant pathogens and diseases
Rice diseases
Ustilaginomycotina
Fungi described in 1895
Taxa named by Julius Oscar Brefeld
Fungus species
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