Some biological parameters of the sugarcane smut fungus, Ustilago Scitaminea

Sugarcane smut, caused by Ustilago scitaminea, is an important disease of sugarcane worldwide. Spores of the smut fungus infect sugarcane plants through buds. Germination and infectivity of spores are influenced by various biological and physical factors. Factors such as age of the spores, infection environment, moisture, temperature and time are important parameters in smut biology. It is important to understand the influence of these biological parameters to develop a successful management strategy. While about 60% of the spores collected from the top section of the whip were viable, only 31% of those from the bottom quarter of the whip (immature section within the leaf sheath) germinated. An in vitro study was conducted to determine the effect of water source (bore, town and deionised water) and substrate (water agar and glass slide) on spore germination. On water agar, spore germination with deionised water was significantly (P>0.05) higher (90%) than with bore water (68%) and town water (69%). Significantly lower germination