CONTROL of SMUT in WHEAT and OTHER SMALL GRAINS by H
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Bulletin No. 116 June, 1931 Montana State College, Extension Service, J. C. Taylor, Director, Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics. Montana State College and Uni~ed States Department of Agriculture, co-operating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress ~ay 8 and June 30, 1.914. ~ CONTROL OF SMUT IN WHEAT AND OTHER SMALL GRAINS By H. E. Morris, Extension Plant Pathologist Waldo Kidder, Extension Agronomist Smuts cost the farmers of Montana many thousands of dollars each year. In 1930, stinking smut of wheat alone caused a loss of approximately $750;000, due to decreased yields and to a lower price per bushel. This loss and also that due to the smuts {..:Fig. 1. Smutted and normal heads of wheat. The head at the left ,is a typi:cal head affected with covered or stinking smut, The next, head IS a he'althy head. The two heads on the right show two stages of the loose smut in wheat. (-Courtesy,D. S. Dept. of Agr.) . ,( 2 MONTANA EXTENSION SERVICE of oats, barley and rye may be largely prevented by adopting the methods of seed treatment described in this bulletin. What Is Smut Smut is produced by a small parasitic plant, mould-like in appearance, belonging to a group called fungi (Fig. 2). Smut lives most of its life within and at the expense of the wheat plant. The smut powder, so familiar to all, is composed of myriads of spores which correspond to seeds in the higher plants. In the process of harvesting and threshing, these spores are dis· I Fig'. 2. Comparison in size between: a, fine sand; b, very fine dust; c, spores of the fungus causing l'ose rust (Phragmidium); d, spores of the wheat-rust fungus (Puccinia); e, spores of the fungus. causing apple scab (Venturia); f, spores of oat smut (Ustilago); g, spores of blue mold of fruit (Penicillium) j h, spores of potato dry rot fungus (Fusarium). Mag. nified 110 times. CONTROL OF SMUT IN WHEAT AND OTHER SMALL GRAINS 3 tributed, many of them adhering to the wheat. Conditions favoring the germination and growth of the wheat are favorable to the growth of the fungus. The spores germinate at the same time as the wheat. If the smut fungus comes into close contact with a young wheat seedling, it enters the tissues of the seedling and thereafter grows within the wheat plant. About the time when the wheat plant should normally form grain, the fungus produces spores, the familiar black smut powder (Fig. 3) which takes the place of the kernals of grain. Kinds of Smut Grain smuts may conveniently.be divided into three classes based upon their methods of attacking their hosts. First,· smuts Fig. 3. Normal and smutted kernels of wheat. Smut balls shown at bottom when broken release the black powder which is composed of the spores (seeds) of the smut plant. Each smut ball contains thousands of these spores or seeds which may infect the wheat unless proper seed treat ment is given. ('Courtesy, U. S. Dept. of Agr.) 4 MONTANA EXTENSION SERVICE including the stinking smut of wheat which cause infection only in the seedling stage are commonly called covered smuts. In this class the infection may develop from the spores (smut seeds) adhering to the grain kernel or from the spores in the soil. This class includes the stinking smut of wheat, the covered smut of barley and the oat smuts. Second, smuts, including the loose smut of wheat and the loose smut of barley, which infect only flowers. In this class the fungus is inside the seed. Third, smuts such as corn smut which may affect any young growing part of the plant. Seed treatment is useless for con trolling this class of smuts. - Different Smuts For Each Crop There are different kinds of smut, each peculiar to the plant in which it grows. Wheat smut will not grow in oats or barley, oat smut will not grow in wheat or barley, and barley smut will not grow in wheat or oats. Two Smuts of Wheat j. There are two -smuts of wheat, the stinking smut or bunt . which is the most serious, and the loose smut. Loose smut is sometimes mistaken for stinking smut. Loose smut appears about the time the heads are emerging from the i boot and produces a black, loose, fluffy mass of spores (smut Il seeds) which are soon blown away by the wind leaving a bare stalk (Fig. 1). !I!his smut may be controlled only by treating seed with hot water. The characteristic symptoms of stinking smut are a bluish green color in contrast to a normal green color of the wheat heads in the dough stage; the stems of infected plants are often shorter ,f. than normal ones; the presence of smut balls in the infected head (Fig. 1 and 3), and the stinking, smutty odor. Each smut ball contains numerous spores or "seeds" of the fungus: Each spore is capable of infecting a seedling wheat plant, and there are about as many spores in each smut ball as there are kernals in five or six bushels of wheat. In threshing, many of these smut balls are broken and the spores or "smut CONTROL OF SMUT IN WHEAT AND OTHER SMALL GRAINS 5 dust" coming like smoke from the combine or thresher are dusted over the good wheat or returned to the soil. The symptoms described for the two smuts of wheat are quite characteristic for the loose smuts and the covered smuts of other grain. Conditions Affecting Smut Infection The effectiveness of seed treatment may vary from year to year in the same locality. In explaining the occasional poor results of recommended treatments in controlling stinking smut, one must consider this disease in its relation to soil temperature and soil moisture. It is often stated that the date of planting is closely as,sociated with the amount of smut in the resulting crop. This is because soil temperature. greatly influences infec tion by stinking smut. The infection of smut takes place in the very young wheat plant before the first leaf emerges. Therefore, a quick emergence of the wheat plant after it is planted is advantageous because it lessens the chances of infection. With enough soil moisture, it takes from 12 to 22 days for the wheat plant to emerge when the soil temperature is between 41-50° F., while it takes only four to eight days when the soil temperature is from 59-68° F. Wheat should be planted about the time recommended for the locality, but under the most favorable conditions regarding soil moisture and soil temperature. Control of Grain Smuts Seed treatments which have proved very effective in reducing losses from various smuts are now being used by the most suc cessful grain growers. Although information about seed treat ment has been widely distributed, losses caused by smuts con tinue to increase. Losses in winter wheat can be greatly reduced and losses in spring wheat practically eliminated by strictly following these practices each year: First, by the use of only carefully re-cleaned seed grain. 6 MONTANA EXTENSION SERVICE Second, by proper use of the best seed treatment for the kind of grain. Third, by more careful tillage. Fourth, by more attention to planting grain when the soH is fairly warm and moisture conditions are favorable. All seed grain should be carefully re-cleaned over a good fanning mill before the seed is treated. :Such cleaning should remove all of the smut balls, all shriveled and broken seed, all weed seed, and other trash. The use of carefully cleaned and properly treated seed reduces smut losses and aids in producing cleaner and more profitable crops. Copper Carbonate Treatment For Stinking Smut of Wheat Winter Wheat: Use two to four ounces of 50 per cent copper carbonate to each bushel of re-cleaned seed. Mix until each kernel is thoroughly coated. Spring Wheat: Use two ounces of 50 per cent copper car bonate or two to three ounces of 20 per cent copper carbonate to each bushel of re-cleaned seed. Mix until each kernel is thoroughly coated. The results of many tests have proven conclusively that copper carbonate when properly applied is as effective in con trolling stinking smut of wheat as either the blue-stone or for maldehyde methods of treatment formerly recommended. The wet treatments can no longer be.considered practical. Quality and Grades of ICopperCarbonate The copper carbonate powder recommended for the treat ment of seed wheat should be light and fluffy and light green in color. It should be fine enough to permit 98 to 100 per cent of it to pass through a 200-mesh screen. Heavy, bluish and coarse powders should be rejected. A good dust should feel smooth when rubbed between the fingers. Copper carbonate is sold in two grades: pure or "50 %" copper carbonate contains from 50 to 54 per cent copper, while extended CONTROL OF SMUT IN WHEAT AND OTHER SMALL GRAINS 7 or "20 %" copper carbonate contains from 18 to 20 per cent. copper. Since copper is the active agent, tbe pure copper car bonate is about two and one-half. times more concentrated than the extended product. Directions For Using Copper Carbonate "It is not the dust in the machine but the dust on the kernel that counts." Each kernel of wheat should be thoroughly coated with the dust. This can not be done by shoveling, by attempting to mix tbe grain and dust in the drill box, or by mixing the seed and dust on the floor with a rake.