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Ergot of Cereals and Grasses


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Introduction to Ergot of Cereals and Grasses

Ergot bodies are usually larger than the grain, which is why infection is easy to observe in infected crops.

Ergot bodies are usually larger than the grain, which is why infection is easy to observe in infected crops. (Photo from the Western Committee on Plant Disease)

Ergot is a plant disease caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which infects the developing grains of cereals and grasses. Ergot symptoms become evident during kernel formation, when ergot bodies are formed in place of kernels.

Various sized ergot bodies selected from infected wheat heads.

Various sized ergot bodies selected from infected wheat heads.

The ergot bodies, which are also called sclerotia, are formed from a hard mass of fungal mycelium, and are the over-wintering structures in the disease cycle. The ergot bodies have a hard protective rind on the outside, which is black to dark purple in colour, and a white to grey coloured interior. They are often elongated and protrude from the glumes of maturing heads, and may be up to 10 times larger than the seed it has replaced.

In some cereals, ergot bodies may reach up to two cm in length, but in forage grasses they remain small and slender. Heads may contain one to several ergot bodies. Ergot can easily be identified in unclean grain.


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Last updated: 2006-09-11

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