What is tilletia foetida?

Tilletia foetida is a fungus that belongs to the order Tilletiales. It is commonly known as stinking smut due to its strong unpleasant odor. The fungus affects various cereal crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye. It causes significant economic losses through reduced yield and lower quality of the grain.

The fungus completes its life cycle within the host plant, producing dark, smutty masses of spores that infect the surrounding plants. The spores survive in the soil and infected plant debris, and can remain viable for many years.

Symptoms of Tilletia foetida infection include the formation of large, dark, smutty masses of fungal spores on the infected grains. Affected plants may also have stunted growth and reduced biomass.

Management of Tilletia foetida involves preventive measures such as crop rotation, removal of infected debris, and seed treatment using fungicides. The use of resistant cultivars is also recommended.