A
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
[1] Date: Thu 9 Oct 2008
From: M Catherine Aime <maime@agcenter.lsu.edu>
The specimen arrived and we had a look at it. It is not head
smut (_Sphacelotheca_) but appears to be corn [boil] smut,
_Ustilago maydis_.
--
M. Catherine Aime, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
<maime@agcenter.lsu.edu>
******
[2] Date: Thu 16 Oct 2008
From: Susan Baekeland <grolleyog@tele2.fr>
In the big field just above my house, which had been cut for
cattle silage, I came across a [maize] cob on the ground with
the full infection of what the Mexicans call 'huitlacoche.' They
tin it for human consumption. This is yet another manifestation
of the species _U. maydis_ (phylum _Basidiomycota_, class
_Ustilaginomycetes_, order _Ustilaginales_, genus _Ustilago_).
This is the 1st time I have actually seen it on a maize cob
here, apart from the seed I grew imported from Peru (purple
maize variety). We grow a lot of maize here and it is difficult
to see what is happening in the fields as the plants are very
close together.
--
Susan Baekeland
ProMED-mail Rapporteur
Normandy
France
<grolleyog@tele2.fr>
******
[3] Date: Thu 2 Oct 2008
From: Rikus Kloppers <rikus.kloppers@pannar.co.za>
The pictures that Susan sent, her comment that it was not
visible in the cob itself, and also the position of the smut
gall on the stem actually made me consider that maybe this is
boil/common smut (_Ustilago maydis_) and not head smut (_S.
reiliana_) -- my reason for saying that is that you always see
head smut in the tassel first and then without exception also in
the cob .... or rather where there is supposed to be a cob....
of that same plant.
Susan also states it does not occur on the cob. This symptom on
the other hand is somewhere halfway on the stem. Boil smut is
more prone to cause this random gall formation where some kind
of damage
(insect/hail) occurred. But the gall itself I must say looks
more like a typical headsmut gall???
--
Dr Frederik J Kloppers <rikus.kloppers@pannar.co.za>
Technical Services Manager/Senior Plant Pathologist
PANNAR Research Services (Pty) Ltd
Greytown South Africa <http://www.pannar.com>
[Boil smut of maize is caused by _Ustilago maydis_, head smut is
caused by _Sphacelotheca reiliana_. Huitlacoche, also called
'Mexican corn truffle', consists of the immature galls of _U.
maydis_ and is considered a delicacy.
There has been tremendous interest in the original item and it
appears that the maize smuts are of considerable concern in
several regions. Thank you to Cathie, Susan, and Rikus for their
help in clearing up the diagnosis as _U. maydis_, albeit with
perhaps some slightly unusual looking galls.
I would like to encourage all ProMED-plant readers to send in
reports on any plant diseases you may observe or hear about in
your area, even if the diagnosis is uncertain (please email to <promed@promedmail.org>).
These first hand reports are a valuable source of information
for us all and are very much appreciated.
Maps
France:
<http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/lgcolor/frcolor.htm>
<http://healthmap.org/promed?g=3013755&v=49.5,1,5>
Departments of France:
<http://bonjourlafrance.net/france-map/map-of-france-departments-2.htm>
Normandy:
<http://www.discover-normandy.info/pics/normandy_map.gif>
Pictures
Boil smut on maize:
<http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/corn%20smut/fruit.htm>
(ear), <http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/corn%20smut/flower.htm>
(flower), <http://www.inra.fr/hyp3/images/6037071.jpg> (stem),
and <http://www.inra.fr/hyp3/images/6037073.jpg>
(leaf)
Huitlacoche:
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Huitlacoche.jpg>
Links
Boil smut information:
<http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/corn%20smut/smut.htm>,
<http://www.inra.fr/hyp3/pathogene/6ustmay.htm>, and <http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-706/450-706.html>
Information on both smuts:
<http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/26_4718_ENA_HTML.htm>
_U. maydis_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=169566>.
- Mod.DHA]
[see also
in the
archive:
Undiagnosed smut, maize - France (Normandy) 20080922.2980 Fungal
alerts - Middle East 20080909.2817
2007
----
Smut, sorghum - Uganda: (Karamoja) 20071216.4051
2006
----
Boil smut, maize - New Zealand: 1st report 20060805.2169 2000
----
Smut disease, sorghum - Sudan 20000121.0099] |
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