Karnal bunt of wheat is a fungal disease caused by Tilletia indica. It was first reported in India in 1931. Symptoms appear in the ear and include black powdery spores partially covering some grains, giving them a rotten fish smell. Spores can later burst and spread via air, soil, and seed. Disease management includes using disease-free seed, seed treatment, crop rotation, summer plowing, green manuring, avoiding irrigation at flowering, and spraying fungicides. Tolerant wheat varieties include PBW-154, PBW-533, HD-2227, C-306, and UP-368.

1. KARNAL BUNT OF WHEAT
DR. RAJBIR SINGH
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology
Gochar Mahavidyalaya, Rampur Maniharan, Saharanpur (UP), India
Affiliated to Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut (UP), India
Email: rajbir25805@yahoo.com, rajbirsingh2810@gmail.com
Cell No. 91-9456613374

2. Karnal Bunt of Wheat
• Reported in1931 – by Mitra form
Karnal , India
• Sever in Trai & northern parts of
country
• Symptoms:
• Symptoms appear in ear
• Not all ear in a stool affected
• Not all grains in a ear
• Not whole grain but partially
• So called Partial Bunt

3. • Black powder of spore -
• Bunt spore are covered by
pericarp
• Later brust & spores spread
in environment
• Rotten fish smell – Trimethyl
amine
• Grains – light, low quality &
low market value

5. Pathogen – Tilletia indica
Neovossia indica
• Bunt spore are – reticulate & size 22 - 49 µm
• Disease is soil, air & seed borne
• Chlamydospore
• Fav. - Tem. 18 - 22° C
• R. H. – >70%

6. Systemic Position
Kingdom – Mycota/ Fungi
Division – Eumycota
Sub division – Basidiomycotina
Class – Teliomycetes
Order – Ustilagiales
Family – Tilletiaceae
Genus – Nevossia
Species - indica

7. Different Types of Spores of Nevossia indica

8. Spore of Nevossia indica

10. Disease Management
• Use of healthy Seed
• Seed treatment – Bvastin or Thiram @ 2.5 – 3. 0 gm/ kg seed
• Crop rotation
• Summer ploughing
• Green manuring
• No irrigation at the time of flowering
• Spray – Tilt @ 0.1% or Bavastin @ 0.2% at boot leaf stage
• Use disease tolerance varieties- PBW- 154, PBW- 533, HD-
2227, C-306, UP-368

11. Thank You