Increasing Incidence of Covered Kernel Smut Disease of Sorghum in Northern Nigeria

摘要

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Mocnch] is the principal cereal crop in the Sudan and Northern Guinea zones of Nigeria. It is also grown extensively in the southern Guinea and derived savanna areas. Diseases constitute an important production constraintunder both traditional and improved cropping systems and can cause between 10 and 12% of the total crop loss (Selvaraj 1980). Among panicle diseases, smuts [head smut (Sporisorium reilianum (Kuhn) Langdon and Fullerton), loose kernel smut (Sphacelothecacruenta (Kuhn) Potter), long smut (Tolyposporium ehrenbergii (Kuhn) Patouillard), and covered kernel smut(Sporisorium sorghi(Ehrenberg) Link] are the most widespread group of diseases (Pande et al. 1993). Earlier reports suggest that covered kernel smut alone is responsible for 1-1.5% annual yield losses in Nigeria (Selvaraj 1980). Surveys were conducted during the 1996 crop season to evaluate the incidence of covered kernel smut in northern Nigeria.