3 articles
Rice blast
Rice blast is a serious fungal disease of rice caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which destroys an estimated 5% of annual global rice production.
Smut (fungus)
Smut (fungus): plant disease caused by over 1000 biotrophic teliospore-forming fungi (Ustilago, Tilletia) that replace host seeds with black spore masses; includes corn smut, loose smut, and common bunt of wheat.
Wheat leaf rust
Wheat leaf rust, caused by the biotrophic fungus Puccinia triticina, is the most widely distributed wheat rust, causing chronic yield losses of 10–40% and over 50% in early epidemics; managed through slow-rusting resistance breeding and fungicides.