Karnal Bunt Disease of Wheat and Its Management

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a source of staple food for humans since ancient times. Numerous factors like varietal reshuffle, intensive cultivation and high input technology are responsible for minor diseases to become major production constraint. One such disease that has caused much concern is Karnal bunt caused by Tilletia indica (Mitra) Mundkur; decreased in quality production of wheat due to prevalence of Karnal bunt by imparting a fishy odour and taste to the wheat. In the absence of strict domestic quarantine regulation, it has spreaded to new areas. The pathogen T. indica is seed and soil-borne and also has an air-borne sporidial stage, so infected seeds are the most important carrier of pathogens for trans-regional and long-distance dispersal of the spores. The fungus enters the grain through the germinal end and converts the kernels into sori filled with teliospores. Early recognition of the pathogen is a critical step in analysis and its management.