The cereal grain

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

is subject to numerous wheat diseases, including bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, as well as parasitic infestations.

Principal diseases

Barley yellow dwarf virus Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is a plant disease caused by the ''barley yellow dwarf virus'' (BYDV), and is the most widely distributed viral disease of cereals. It affects the economically important crop species barley, oats, wheat, maize, tritical ...

BYDV Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is a plant disease caused by the ''barley yellow dwarf virus'' (BYDV), and is the most widely distributed viral disease of cereals. It affects the economically important crop species barley, oats, wheat, maize, tritical ...

* Brown rust ''

Puccinia recondita ''Puccinia recondita'' is a mushroom species belonging to the order of Pucciniales, family Pucciniaceae. Description This species occurs worldwide. Biology These fungi are endoparasites plant pathogens mainly infecting Balsaminaceae, Boragina ...

'' *

Common bunt Common bunt, also known as hill bunt, Indian bunt European bunt, stinking smut or covered smut, is a disease of both spring and winter wheats. It is caused by two very closely related fungi, ''Tilletia tritici'' (syn. ''Tilletia caries'') and '' T ...

(aka Covered smut) ''

Tilletia caries ''Tilletia caries'' (synonymous with ''Tilletia tritici'') is a basidiomycete that causes common bunt of wheat. The common names of this disease are stinking bunt of wheat and stinking smut of wheat. This pathogen infects wheat, rye, and various ...

'' *

Ergot Ergot ( ) or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus ''Claviceps''. The most prominent member of this group is ''Claviceps purpurea'' ("rye ergot fungus"). This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that ca ...

Claviceps purpurea ''Claviceps purpurea'' is an ergot fungus that grows on the ears of rye and related cereal and forage plants. Consumption of grains or seeds contaminated with the survival structure of this fungus, the ergot sclerotium, can cause ergotism in h ...

'' * Eyespot '' Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides'' * Glume blotch '' Septoria nodorum'' * septoria leaf blotch ''

Mycosphaerella graminicola ''Zymoseptoria tritici'', synonyms ''Septoria tritici'', ''Mycosphaerella graminicola'', is a species of filamentous fungus, an ascomycete in the family ''Mycosphaerellaceae''. It is a wheat plant pathogen causing septoria leaf blotch that is d ...

'', synonyms: ''Septoria tritici'', ''Zymoseptoria tritici'' *

Mildew Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mould, largely by its colour: moulds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consi ...

Erysiphe graminis ''Blumeria graminis'' (commonly called barley powdery mildew or corn mildew) is a fungus that causes powdery mildew on grasses, including cereals. It is the only species in the genus ''Blumeria''. It has also been called ''Erysiphe graminis'' and ...

'' * Seedling blight ''

Fusarium ''Fusarium'' is a large genus of filamentous fungi, part of a group often referred to as hyphomycetes, widely distributed in soil and associated with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes, and are relatively abundant members of the soil mi ...

'' spp., ''Septoria nodorum'' *

Sharp eyespot Sharp or SHARP may refer to: Acronyms * SHARP (helmet ratings) (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), a British motorcycle helmet safety rating scheme * Self Help Addiction Recovery Program, a charitable organisation founded in 199 ...

Rhizoctonia cerealis ''Ceratobasidium cornigerum'' is a species of fungus in the order Cantharellales. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are thin, spread on the substrate out like a film (effused) and web-like. An anamorphic state is frequently obtained when isolates are ...

'' * Spot blotch '' Biplolaris sorokiana'' *

Take-all Take-all is a plant disease affecting the roots of grass and cereal plants in temperate climates caused by the fungus ''Gaeumannomyces tritici'' (previously known as ''Gaeumannomyces graminis ''var. ''tritici''). All varieties of wheat and ba ...

Gaeumannomyces graminis ''Gaeumannomyces graminis'' var. ''graminis'' is a plant pathogen. This fungal pathogen produces extensive damage on the sheath of rice, causing black spots which protrude from the infected. This pathogen also generates a discoloration in the fol ...

'' * Tan spot ''

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis ''Pyrenophora tritici-repentis'' (teleomorph) and ''Drechslera tritici-repentis'' ( anamorph) is a necrotrophic plant pathogen of fungal origin, phylum Ascomycota. The pathogen causes a disease originally named yellow spot but now commonly cal ...

'' * Yellow rust ''

Puccinia striiformis ''Puccinia striiformis'' var. ''striiformis'' is a plant pathogen. It causes stripe rust on wheat, but has other hosts as well. The species is common in Europe and in more recent years has become a problem in Australia. Infection can cause losse ...

In Europe

Cereals are at risk from numerous diseases due to the level of intensification necessary for profitable production since the 1970s. More recently varietal diversification, good plant breeding and the availability of effective fungicides have played a prominent part in cereal disease control. Use of break crops and good rotations are also good cultural control measures. The demise of UK straw burning in the 1980s also increased the importance of good disease control. Active control measures include use of chemical seed treatments for seed-borne diseases and chemical spray applications for leaf and ear diseases. Development of resistance by diseases to established chemicals has been a problem during the previous 30 years.

In the USA

Wheat is subject to more diseases than other grains, and, in some seasons, especially in wet ones, heavier losses are sustained from those diseases than are in other cereal crops. Wheat may suffer from the attack of insects at the root; from blight, which primarily affects the leaf or

straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has a number ...

, and ultimately deprives the grain of sufficient nourishment; from mildew on the ear; and from gum of different shades, which lodges on the chaff or cups in which the grain is deposited.

Fungicides

Fungicides used on wheat, grouped by type, with examples of the active chemical ingredient: *

Benzimidazoles Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. This bicyclic compound may be viewed as fused rings of the aromatic compounds benzene and imidazole. It is a colorless solid. Preparation Benzimidazole is produced by condensation of o ...

benomyl Benomyl (also marketed as Benlate) is a fungicide introduced in 1968 by DuPont. It is a systemic benzimidazole fungicide that is selectively toxic to microorganisms and invertebrates, especially earthworms, but nontoxic toward mammals. Due to th ...

** carbendazim * Ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors **

prochloraz Prochloraz, brand name Sportak, is an imidazole fungicide that was introduced in 1978 and is widely used in Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America within gardening and agriculture to control the growth of fungi. It is not registered for ...

** flutriafol ** tetraconazole * Morpholines **

fenpropimorph Fenpropimorph is a morpholine-derived fungicide used in agriculture, primarily on cereal crops such as wheat. It has been reported to disrupt eukaryotic sterol biosynthesis pathways, notably by inhibiting fungal Δ14 reductases. It has also been r ...

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or succinate-coenzyme Q reductase (SQR) or respiratory complex II is an enzyme complex, found in many bacterial cells and in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes. It is the only enzyme that participates in ...

(SDHI) **Succinate-analogue inhibitors **Ubiquinone type inhibitors ***

boscalid Boscalid is a broad spectrum fungicide used in agriculture to protect crops from fungal diseases. It was first marketed by BASF in 2002 using their brand name Endura. The compound is an biphenyl amide derived inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase. ...

, a pyridine-carboxamide ***

fluopyram Fluopyram is a fungicide and nematicide used in agriculture. It is used to control fungal diseases such as gray mold (Botrytis), powdery mildew, apple scab, ''Alternaria'', ''Sclerotinia'', and ''Monilinia ''Monilinia'' is a genus of fungi in ...

, a pyrimide (pyridinyl ethylbenzamide) ***

fluxapyroxad Fluxapyroxad is a broad-spectrum pyrazole-carboxamide fungicide used on a large variety of commercial crops. It stunts fungus growth by inhibiting the succinate dehydrogenase (SQR) enzyme. Application of fluxapyroxad helps prevent many wilts and ...

, a pyrazole-carboxamide ***

oxycarboxin Oxycarboxin is an organic compound used as a fungicide. It is an anilide. Uses Oxycarboxin is used to control rust diseases (e.g. soybean rust). History Oxycarboxin has been commercially available since 1966. Preparation Oxycarboxin is prepared ...

, oxathiin-carboxamide * Strobylurines ** kresoxim-methyl *

Phthalonitrile Phthalonitrile is an organic compound with the formula C6H4(CN)2, which is an off-white crystal solid at room temperature. It is a derivative of benzene, containing two adjacent nitrile groups. The compound has low solubility in water but is sol ...

s **

chlorothalonil Chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile) is an organic compound mainly used as a broad spectrum, nonsystemic fungicide, with other uses as a wood protectant, pesticide, acaricide, and to control mold, mildew, bacteria, algae. Ch ...

References

External links

Excellent color guide from CIMMYT
USDA Cereal Disease Laboratory
Many information resources
Identifying and Managing Wheat Rusts, Kansas State UniversityCropMonitor - UK Resource for in-season wheat disease control
Excellent tool for agronomists and growers * * {{Wheat

Diseases A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ar ...