Vidyalelo
Agriculture · Q977

Plant Pathology

Graduate and Post Graduate · Agriculture · question 977

Q977

Smut of maize caused by

A.
Ustilago nuda
B.
Ustilago maydis
Answer
C.
Ustilago hordei
D.
None of these

Answer: Option B

Solution

Answer: Option B
Solution:
Smut of maize caused by Ustilago maydis.
Corn smut is a plant disease caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis, which attacks corn (maize) and teosinte plants.
The fungus infects all parts of the host plant by invading the ovaries of its host. The infection causes the corn kernels to swell up into tumor-like galls, whose tissues, texture, and developmental pattern are mushroom-like. These galls are made up of hypertrophied cells of the infected plant, along with resulting fungal threads, and blue-black spores.