Profile

Ergot is a fungus that can infect all types of cereals and numerous grasses. The symptoms are yellowish drops on the inflorescences at the beginning, in advanced infestation dark brown or dark purple outgrowths appear. The fungus is toxic as it produces large amounts of alkaloids.

Biology

Ergot belongs to the group of tubular fungi (Ascomycota) and overwinters in the form of permanent forms (sclerotia) that reach the soil during the threshing process. In spring, several stalked heads with numerous fruiting bodies (perithecia) germinate from the sclerotia remaining on the soil surface, in which the tubular spore tubes (asci) are found. Spores are ejected from these spore tubes during humid weather. These spores reach the unfertilized stigmas during flowering of cereals and grasses by means of wind. Egress subsequently occurs with assimilate droplets from the flower. Through the asexually formed spores (conidia), the fungus is further spread by insects, wind, rain, or contact to other unfertilized stigmas. This infection period is prolonged when little pollen is available due to cultivar characteristics or poor weather. In the infected flowers, the typical sclerotia of the ergot fungus subsequently develop instead of grains.

Mainly in the Middle Ages, the consumption of bread made from ergot-infected grain repeatedly led to mass poisoning of entire cities. The toxic effect of ergot is due to its high alkaloid content. At that time, the poisonings were referred to as Antonius fires. The name ergot also refers to the alkaloids (here especially ergometrine), which stimulate labor and were used for abortions.

Host plants

Ergot can infect all types of cereals and numerous grasses. In cereals, rye and triticale are the most susceptible, barley and oats are very rarely affected.

Distribution

Ergot was widespread in temperate climates. In today's cereal production, ergot is of little importance due to improved seed cleaning. However, in years with cool and wet weather, especially during grass flowering, ergot can still occur more frequently.

Economic importance

The economic importance of ergot arises not so much from yield loss, but from the reduction in quality caused by the toxic alkaloids in the sclerotia.

Prevention and control

Ergot, unlike many other fungal pathogens, cannot be controlled directly with pesticides. The following measures can reduce possible infestation:

• Reduce the proportion of rye in the crop rotation.
• Use of ergot-free seed
• Deep plowing after rye to bury the sclerotia and weaken their ability to germinate. This is especially true if ergot infestation has been detected
• Preventing grasses from flowering at the edges of fields by mowing them down can also reduce infestations

Specialized information

In the Austrian Descriptive List of Varieties there is a classification of susceptibility of rye varieties to ergot.

Services

Plant Health Services