Colletotrichum graminicola
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Source: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series - IPM Images
Colletotrichum graminicola (Ces. 1852) G.W. Wilson 1914
The fungus is wide-spread and causes anthracnose of maize and sorghum as well as diseases on some other crops like forage grasses. In temperate regions, it is a problem during warm and moist periods. Anthracnose of maize has different disease forms like leaf blight, stalk-rot, top-kill of the stalk or kernel rot with the first 2 being most important. In North America, yield losses of up to US$1 billion have been estimated on maize for 2011.
Leaf lesions on maize are brown with an ellytical or spindle shaped outline. Stalk rot symptoms are characterized by shiny black, linear streaks and blotches on the lower stems. On grasses it causes leaves to become yellowish or reddish brown followed by death of the leaves. Older leaves are affected first.
| Vernacular names | |
|---|---|
| • English: | corn anthracnose maize anthracnose |
| • Español: | antracnosis de los cereales |
| • Français: | anthracnose du maïs anthracnose des céréales |
The fungus persists in seeds or as sclerotia in plant debris. It has a hemibiotrophic life cycle. After invading the host plant, the fungus grows first as a biotroph, absorbing plant nutrients from living cells with haustoria. After 2-3 days it switches to necrotrophy, killing the host cells and living off the dead tissue.
On infected leaves small dark averculi, 0.3-1 mm in size, are formed bearing about 100 µm long spines (setae). Conidia develop at the base of the spines and are unicellular, sickle-shaped, 19-35 µm long and 3-5 µm wide. They can be dispersed by wind or water. The sexual stage (Glomerella graminicola) has not been observed in the field, but can be produced in the laboratory.
Synonyms:
Glomerella graminicola
