Importance of SeedborneTilletia controversafor Infection of Winter Wheat and Its Relationship to International Commerce

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Samples of wheat being exported from Pacific Northwest ports in 1983 were examined for the presence of the dwarf bunt fungus, Tilletia controversa. Of 552 samples examined, 141 were free of dwarf bunt. The remaining samples, representing all classes of wheat, contained dwarf bunt teliospores, but none of these seeds lots were heavily infested. Field tests were conducted in five states over 2 yr to determine if seedborne teliospores of T. controversa could induce disease. Bunted spikes resulted only when heavily infested seed (.gtoreq. 1 g of teliospores per kilogram of seed) was planted in disease-conductive locations. None of the 552 samples examined in 1983 had dwarf bunt infestation levels .gtoreq. 1 g of teliospores per kilogram of seed (equivalent to 20,000 teliospores per seed). Therefore, in areas where this disease is not known to occur, there seems to be minimal risk that the importation of grain with low levels of infestation will result in significant development of dwarf bunt.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: