Name of Disease: Karnal bunt of Wheat. (Infected Sheeds)

Cause: Nevossia indica (Mitra) Mundkur.

Symptoms:  The disease appears when the grains have developed. In this disease, some grains inthe spike are partially or wholly converted into black powdery masses. The embryo tissue is generally not destroyed. Not all the ears in a stool carry the disease and even in the same ear only few grains (five to six only) are smutted. The block powder give is foul smell due to presence of trimethylamine.

                The fungus is both seed borne and soil born and the infection occurs at flowering time by airborne spridia.

Control:

1.       Grow resistant verities.

2.       Use disease free seeds.

3.       Treat seeds with Agrosan GN or Ceresan or Vitavax @ 2-2.5 g/kg seed for eliminating aees borne infection.

4.       Avoid excessive irrigation at the time of flowering.