Major Seed-Borne Diseases in Important Cereals: Symptomatology, Aetiology and Economic Importance

The seed-borne diseases are of utmost importance as it reduces seed quality, inflicts changes in the chemical composition of infected seeds, and renders grains unfit for consumption. Severe infection leads to considerable reduction in the viability of seeds. Despite advances in development of disease-resistant varieties and other management methods, many diseases of cereals like rice blast, brown spot of rice, Karnal bunt and head blight of wheat and Maydis leaf blight of maize continue to be the major cause of yield losses in crop production. Recent researches to understand the biology of major seed-borne diseases of cereals and their management for sustained productivity with integrated approaches are outlined in this chapter.