Treatment of Bunt of Wheat and 8mut of Barley. hhb 



TREATMENT OF BUNT OF WHEAT AND SMUT 

 OF BARLEY. 



By D. McAlpine. 



These are two very prevalent fungus diseases of cereals, and cause 

 •considerable loss when no precautions are taken to prevent them. 



Pf- Bunt (Tilletia) , or stinking smut as it is usually called, is easily 

 recognized, both from the appearance of the grain and the ear. The 

 grain is filled with a black mass of fungus spores which emit an 

 odour not unlike stinking fish, especially when rubbed, and the skin 

 is of a dark unhealthy green colour. The ears aifected remain longer 

 green than healthy ears, and being lighter than the sound ones, do not 

 bend over, but remain upright. 



Smut fUstilagoJ is also characterized by the grain being filled 

 with a mass of black dusty spores, which are very conspicuous, and 

 usually the loose spores are scattered by the wind. In barley, 

 however, there is the naked and covered smut, and it was the latter 

 variety dealt with in these experiments. 



In order to understand the treatment, it is necessary to know that 

 infection can only take place when the plant is young and tender, and 

 the fungus filaments grow inside, keeping pace with the growing 

 plant, until the young seeds are formed, and then the fungus vises all 

 the nourishment stored up there for the production of its reproductive 

 bodies or spores. These spores are so light, and so numerous, that 

 in harvesting operations they readily become attached to the healthy 

 grain, and if the conditions are favourable, infect the young plant 

 when germination occurs. It is evident that prevention must be 

 resorted to, and the seed to be sown is treated in order to destroy 

 or prevent the germination of the spores. The most commonly 

 used steep or pickle is that of bluestone or sulphate of copper, but 

 corrosive sublimate and formalin have also been found efficacious. 



Stinking Smut of Wheat 



In order to test the relative merits of bluestone and formalin for 

 the stinking smut of wheat, experiments were carried out at Port 

 Fairy with both. Seed wheat was thoroughly infected with the spores 

 of stinking smut, and divided into three portions, one being treated 

 with bluestone solution, another with formalin, and a third left 

 untreated. Large patches were sown in each case, a;nd carefully 

 -examined by Mr. Goldie and myself towards the end of December. 



Bluestone was used at the rate of 1 lb. in 5 gallons of water, -and 

 formalin at the rate of 1 lb. in 40 gallons of water. 



The method adopted was to spread out the seed on a wooden fioor 

 and sprinkle the solution over it, turning the grain over and over, 

 either by shovelling or raking, so that all the grains became 

 thoroughly wetted. The seed was then spread out to dry, and it was 



