A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: 30 Mar 2009
Source: Stabroek News [edited]
<http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/03/30/colombia-returning-large-paddy-shipment-after-detecting-fungus/>

Colombia returning large paddy shipments after detecting fungus

The Colombian Farming Institute (CFI) has announced that 1000 tonnes of local paddy found to be contaminated with "an identified exotic disease" will be returned to Guyana. However, the infection could have occurred while in Colombia.

Minister of Agriculture [of Guyana], Robert Persaud, said that he was aware of the situation and steps were being taken. "I have directed the GRDB [Guyana Rice Development Board] to investigate the matter notwithstanding the company's pronouncement that the shipment was free of any impurities or fungi when it left Guyana. I have asked that the Colombians, US and the Latin American rice research system
(FLAR) be involved," Persaud said.

The rice will be returned to Guyana following the discovery of a fungus which corresponds to the _Tilletia_ type. The same fungus was detected in 5493 tons of rice originating from the United States.
Fearing a possible spread of the fungus in their territory, Colombia immediately ordered the rice transported back to its source.

The General Manager of CFI, Jaime Cardenas Lopez, said that it is the organization's responsibility to ensure that imports do not put Colombia's national rice production at risk. Hence, the infected shipment worth USD 2.6 million is safely stored aboard a vessel at port Barranquilla. Controlling such a fungus would increase production costs and products would not be marketable if contaminated. Colombia in December 2008 approved a tender to import
75 000 tons of paddy at zero duty to reduce the cost of the product in the local market.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[2]
Date: 31 Mar 2009
Source: Stabroek News [edited]
<http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/03/31/colombia-paddy-shipment-was-fungus-free-exporter-says/>

Colombia paddy shipment was fungus free, exporter says

General Manager of Saj Rice Group (SRG) Carlos Carbo yesterday [30 Mar 2009] said a consignment of paddy recently shipped by his company to Colombia was free of any disease, fungus or quality issues when it left the local shores. Carbo emphasized that paddy is subjected to quality control procedures and tests from the "Rice Lab" before leaving Guyana which is "an international laboratory that certifies most of Guyana rice."

Quality checks, he noted, were carried out by GRDB. CFI, according to Carbo, has stated that the shipment is infested with _Tilletia barclayana_. However, Carbo said he has received information that the presence of this fungus was never reported in Guyana. The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed this with support from CABI [Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International] and EPPO [European Plant Protection Organisation].

Carbo stated that the a shipment of rice from the United States, which arrived in Colombia 4 or 5 days earlier, was infected by _Tilletia indica_, a similar fungus. This, Carbo said, gives strength to the theory that the infection could have occurred after the shipment arrived in Colombia.

Minister of Agriculture [of Guyana], Robert Persaud, has informed that steps were being taken to address the issue. He had ordered the GRDB to launch an investigation which is still ongoing.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Black smut (also called kernel smut or bunt) of rice is caused by the fungus _Tilletia barclayana_ (synonym _T. horrida_). It is present in most rice growing countries, and despite the claim in item
2 above, there are reports in the literature of its previous detection in Guyana (Carris et al. 2006, Ann. Rev. Phytopath. 44, 113-133). The fungus causes the endosperm of the rice grain to be replaced partially or completely by a black mass of spores. Up to 15 percent of the kernels may be infected on highly susceptible varieties, and yield losses of up to 25 percent have been reported when infected seed was used.

Symptoms usually become apparent at crop maturity when spores push through the glumes and may swell from the moisture of overnight dew.
Spores may settle on other plant parts forming a characteristic black covering. Spores are spread with infected grain and plant material, and by wind infecting ovaries of flowers. They survive in the soil between crops and remain viable in stored grain for up to 3 years.
They also survive passing through digestive tracts of domestic animals. Disease management includes preventative seed treatment, use of crop varieties with reduced susceptibility, and cultural techniques such as crop rotation and pathogen exclusion.

_T. indica_ causes karnal bunt, a serious disease of wheat. It is morphologically similar, and both pathogens can be found as contaminants on harvested or stored grain. Thus the claim in item [2] that the species detected in the Guyana and US shipments were different would need clarification by molecular methods. Additional _Tilletia_ species occur on other non-economic grass hosts. Confusion of species as contaminants in export grain and seed are said to have hindered agricultural trade on previous occasions. It is difficult to imagine how the rice could have become contaminated on board ships after arrival in Colombia.

Maps
Colombia:
<http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/lgcolor/cocolor.htm>  and <http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=3666951&g=3687951&v=3.9,-73.1,5>
South America, overview:
<http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/sa.htm>

Pictures of rice black smut
On seed head:
<http://www.ricefarming.com/home/images/rf0120.jpg>
Affected kernels:
<http://www.agroatlas.ru/content/diseases/Oryzae/Oryzae_Tilletia_horrida/Oryzae_Tilletia_horrida.jpg> and <http://www.padil.gov.au/img.aspx?id=2461&s=s>
Spores:
<http://www.padil.gov.au/img.aspx?id=2462&s=s>
Photo gallery:
<http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm?area=125&sub=19061>

Links
Information on black smut of rice:
<http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/diseases/Oryzae/ Oryzae_Tilletia_horrida/>,  <http://www.cabicompendium.org/NamesLists/CPC/Full/TILLBA.htm>  and <http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/project_documents/uploads/Kernel%20smut.pdf>
Reviews of _Tilletia_ species and diagnosis:
<http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=186535>
and
<http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=19981002692>
Rice diseases, including black smut:
<http://www.sindhagri.gov.pk/rice-disea.html> and <http://www.ricefarming.com/home/2000_pestguide6.html>
_T. barclayana_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=160488>
_Tilletia_ species list and taxonomy via:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp>
CABI:
<http://www.cabi.org/>
EPPO:
<http://www.eppo.org/>
- Mod.DHA]

[see also in the archive:
2004
-----
Karnal bunt, wheat - Australia: NOT 20040609.1549
2001
----
Karnal bunt, wheat - USA (Texas) 20010628.1227 2000
----
Karnal bunt, wheat - South Africa 20001223.2270
1999
----
Tilletia, wheat: new detection method 19990515.0796
1998
----
Karnal bunt: alternative seed treatment approved - USA 19980119.0157
1996
----
Karnal bunt: Identification by PCR 19961022.1782]