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THE INCIDENCE OF CERTAIN SEED‐BORNE DISEASES IN COMMERCIAL SEED SAMPLES: I. LOOSE SMUT OF BARLEY, USTILAGO NUDA (JENS.) ROSTR.
Author(s) -
MARSHALL GILLIAN M.
Publication year - 1959
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1959.tb02540.x
Subject(s) - biology , smut , ustilago , plumage , incidence (geometry) , veterinary medicine , agronomy , horticulture , botany , zoology , medicine , biochemistry , physics , optics , gene
A simple whole‐embryo test for detecting the presence of loose smut, Ustilago nuda , in barley grains has been developed and is described. Embryos from 1000 grains can be examined within 24 hr. and the actual working time per sample is just over 1 hr. The results of embryo tests showed a high positive correlation with the incidence of the disease in field plots, ( r = 0.83). Commercial samples of seed barley, submitted in 1954‐57 to the Official Seed Testing Station, have been examined by this embryo test for the presence of loose smut. The varieties received could be clearly divided into two groups: the Scandinavian‐bred varieties, e.g. Carlsberg and Herta, having 84% of the samples infected, with the level of infection up to 19%; and the English‐bred varieties, e.g. Proctor and Plumage‐Archer, where only 9.5% of the samples were infected, with the level of infection rarely more than 0.5%. In spite of differences in weather conditions during the period when infection occurred seasonal variations in the incidence of loose smut were not obvious from the results in the 3 years.