All Topics  
Smut (fungus)

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Smut (fungus)
 
 
  Topics Smut (fungus) Topic Home

The smuts are fungi
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
, mostly Ustilaginomycetes
Ustilaginomycetes

Ustilaginomycetes is the class of true smut fungi. They are plant parasites with about 1400 recognised species in 70 genera....
 (of the class Teliomycetae, subphylum Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota is one of two large phylum that, together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya within the Kingdom Fungi. More specifically the Basidiomycota include mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, other polypores, jelly fungi, boletes, cantharellus, Geastraceae, smut , common bunt, rust , mirror yeasts, and the...
), that cause plant disease.

Smuts affect grass
Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
es, notably including cereal
Cereal

Cereals, or cereal grains, are mostly Poaceae cultivated for their edible brans or fruit seeds . Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more energy worldwide than any other type of crop; they are therefore staple foods....
 crops such as maize
Maize

Maize , known as corn in some countries, is a cereal domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents....
. They initially attack the plant's reproductive system, forming gall
Gall

Galls or plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacterium, to insects and mites....
s which darken and burst, releasing fungal spore
Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s which infect other plants nearby.

A smut infestation is controlled by removing and destroying the infected plants. In agriculture, this process is known as destruction of the initial inoculum.

lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m3466929",this)' onMouseout='hide("m3466929")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Sugarcane_smut">Sugarcane smut
Sugarcane smut

Sugarcane smut is a fungal disease of sugarcane caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. It is sometimes known as culmicolous, which describes the outgrowth of fungus of the stalk of the cane....
 or culmicolous smut is caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Smut (fungus)'
Start a new discussion about 'Smut (fungus)'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The smuts are fungi
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
, mostly Ustilaginomycetes
Ustilaginomycetes

Ustilaginomycetes is the class of true smut fungi. They are plant parasites with about 1400 recognised species in 70 genera....
 (of the class Teliomycetae, subphylum Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota

Basidiomycota is one of two large phylum that, together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya within the Kingdom Fungi. More specifically the Basidiomycota include mushrooms, puffballs, stinkhorns, bracket fungi, other polypores, jelly fungi, boletes, cantharellus, Geastraceae, smut , common bunt, rust , mirror yeasts, and the...
), that cause plant disease.

Smuts affect grass
Grass

Grass is the common word that generally describes monocotyledonous green plants. The family Poaceae are the "true grasses" and include most plants grown as grains, for pasture, and for lawns ....
es, notably including cereal
Cereal

Cereals, or cereal grains, are mostly Poaceae cultivated for their edible brans or fruit seeds . Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more energy worldwide than any other type of crop; they are therefore staple foods....
 crops such as maize
Maize

Maize , known as corn in some countries, is a cereal domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents....
. They initially attack the plant's reproductive system, forming gall
Gall

Galls or plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacterium, to insects and mites....
s which darken and burst, releasing fungal spore
Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s which infect other plants nearby.

A smut infestation is controlled by removing and destroying the infected plants. In agriculture, this process is known as destruction of the initial inoculum.

Sugarcane smut

Sugarcane smut
Sugarcane smut

Sugarcane smut is a fungal disease of sugarcane caused by the fungus Sporisorium scitamineum. It is sometimes known as culmicolous, which describes the outgrowth of fungus of the stalk of the cane....
 or culmicolous smut is caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea. The smut 'whip' is a curved black structure which emerges from the leaf whorl. Sugarcane smut causes significant losses to the economic value of a sugarcane
Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a genus of 6 to 37 species of tall perennial plant Poaceae , native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World. They have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure 2 to 6 meters tall....
 crop. Sugarcane smut has recently been found in the eastern seaboard areas of Australia, one of the world's highest-yielding sugar areas.

Corn smut

Corn smut
Corn smut

Corn smut is a disease of maize caused by the pathogenic plant fungus Ustilago maydis. U. maydis causes Smut disease on maize and teosinte ....
 (Ustilago maydis), which infects maize
Maize

Maize , known as corn in some countries, is a cereal domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents....
, is a delicacy in Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, where it was historically enjoyed by the Aztecs, and Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
. It enlarges the ear of corn and fills it with sooty spores.You might know corn smut as huitlacoche.

See also

  • Loose smut
    Loose smut

    Loose smut of barley is caused by Ustilago nuda. It is a disease that can destroy a large proportion of a barley crop....
    , Ustilago nuda
  • Covered smut Tilletia tritici (syn. T. caries) and T. laevis (syn. T. foetida)


External links