Pearl Millet Smut

Dalili

The grains of the millet become green sori. These are larger than the grains and appear as oval/conical capsules. As the disease progresses, the sori turn black. In case of pearl millet smut, the ovaries are converted into sori in the infected florets. The smut sori are usually larger in size than normal grains and are formed in place of normal grains projecting out from between the glumes. In early stages, the colour of sori remains bright green that slowly turns brown to black on maturity. The normal grain contents are replaced by black, dense, powdery mass of spores. Sori are covered by a thin film, which breaks at maturity, and releases brownish black spore mass. On ripening, sori releases many spores in the air, which cause further infection on healthy ear heads. The smut fungus gradually replaces the grain content with black powdery mass and the sori finally consist of remains of host tissue and the spores. The entire grain content is replaced by black dense spore mass but the membrane covering the smut remains intact. The lower portion of ear head which usually remains covered by the sheath of the flag leaf is normally found heavily infected with smut.