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Module III: Ergot Disease of Pearl Millet

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1 Module III: Ergot Disease of Pearl Millet
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics After successful completion of this Module, you have learned to: Recognize the importance of ergot disease of pearl millet. Describe the symptoms of ergot disease in pearl millet. Employ practices to manage ergot disease in pearl millet. Course on Diseases of Pearl Millet

2 Distribution of Ergot Disease of Pearl millet
Ergot Disease of pearl millet has been reported from India, Pakistan, and several countries in Africa. In India, the disease is present in all the states where pearl millet is cultivated. Distribution of Ergot Disease of Pearl millet

3 Economic importance of Ergot Disease
Ergot sometimes destructive disease on pearl millet grain production in India. Although the disease has been known for a long time, possibly over 100 years, the first ergot epidemic was not reported until 1957. The importance of ergot as a major threat to pearl millet production was recognized in late 1960s with the cultivation of commercial hybrids.

4 Economic importance of Ergot Disease
Losses in grain yield due to ergot have been estimated to be as high as 58 to 70% in hybrids. This disease assumes special importance because grain is easily contaminated by fungal bodies (sclerotia) which affect the health of human beings and animals.

5 Contamination of pearl millet seed with ergot infested ones.
Economic importance of Ergot Disease Normal grain contaminated with ergot infested grain when consumed human beings induces nausea, vomiting, giddiness and in extreme cases may be fatal also. Contamination of pearl millet seed with ergot infested ones.

6 Economic importance of Ergot Disease
The feed contaminated with ergot infested pearl millet grain when fed to sows (female pigs) prevents from raising litters. In chicken, this toxicity leads to droppings of feathers and weakening of legs.

7 Ergot symptoms: Honeydew stage
Symptoms of Ergot Disease The ergot causing fungus infects the florets and develops in the ovaries, producing initially copious creamy (Fig.), pink, or red colored sweet sticky liquid called honey dew. Ergot symptoms: Honeydew stage

8 Honeydew stage (left) turning to sclerotial stage (right)
Symptoms of Ergot Disease The honeydew can drip down onto the upper leaves making them sticky. Often pollen and shed anther sacs adhere to the honeydew. Subsequently long dark colored hard structures, sclerotia, develop from infected florets, first dark at the tip and then completely black. Honeydew stage (left) turning to sclerotial stage (right)

9 Management of Ergot Disease
The major source of primary inoculum is sclerotia already in soil from the previous crop or added at sowing with the use of contaminated seed. Disease development and spread depends on prevailing weather conditions during flowering and the timely availability of pollen.

10 Management of Ergot Disease
A. Cultural control Deep ploughing soon after harvest helps bury sclerotia in a soil at a depth which prevents their germination, thus reducing primary inoculum. Separate infested seed from normal seed by soaking in 10% salt solution. Floating light weight infested seeds are separated from normal grain which sinks to the bottom.

11 Management of Ergot Disease
A. Cultural control In India, two perennial grass weeds Cenchrus ciliaris (Top Fig.) and Panicum antidotale (Bottom Fig. were found to harbor the pearl millet ergot fungus. Eradicating these two weeds from around pearl millet fields during early May / June might help reduce the inoculum.

12 Management of Ergot Disease
B. Chemical control A practical and economical fungicide spray schedule for farmers is yet to be demonstrated.

13 Management of Ergot Disease
C. Host –plant Resistance Use of resistant cultivars is the most cost-effective method for the control of Ergot Disease. Four open pollinated varieties, WC-C75, ICMS 7703, ICTP 8203, and ICMV 155 released in India are resistant to Ergot Disease.

14 Module III: Ergot Disease of Pearl Millet
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics The Module III on Ergot Disease of Pearl millet concludes. Next, Module IV is about smut disease of pearl millet. Select Module IV from Course contents Course on Diseases of Pearl Millet


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