Claviceps africana Discovered in India

Cultural characteristics, morphology, and variation within Claviceps africana and C. sorghi from India.

Sorghum ergot in India is caused by Claviceps africana and C. sorghi. The distributions of these two species in India is not known. Eighty-nine sorghum ergot isolates were cultured from young sphacelia obtained from male sterile sorghum plants artificially inoculated using inoculum collected in the field. Based on cultural characteristics, the isolates were separated into two groups which diffe...

A Laboratory Guide to the Identification of Claviceps purpurea and Claviceps africana in Grass and Sorghum Seed Samples

Inoculated Host Range and Effect of Host on Morphology and Size of Macroconidia Produced by Claviceps africana and Claviceps sorghi

Twenty graminaceous plant species were evaluated for their susceptibility to the two sorghum ergot pathogens Claviceps sorghi and Claviceps africana. Five species viz., Sorghum arundinaceum, Sorghum halepense, Sorghum versicolor, Sorghum virgatum and Pennisetum glaucum were found to become infected by both pathogens via inoculation with 10 conidia/ml. Species which did not become infected under...

Blood prolactin depression in growing pigs fed sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana)

The toxicity of sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana) was assessed in young pigs over 28 days. Fortyeight pigs of both sexes and 2 breeds (Large White and Duroc) were allocated across 6 grower diets, balanced for fibre and predicted digestible energy, and containing 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.3, 2.5, or 5% ergot sclerotia [the 5% sclerotia diet contained 70 mg alkaloids/kg (>90% dihydroergosine)]. Blood sampl...

Inhibition of germination and sporulation of Claviceps africana from honeydew encrusted sorghum with seed treatment fungicides

The inhibitory e!ects of six fungicides on macrospore germination and production of secondary conidia of Claviceps africana were studied. E!ects of these fungicides on germination of sorghum seed also were determined. Panicles from male-sterile sorghums with honeydew exudate were harvested from the USDA-ARS Research Farm, Isabela, Puerto Rico in the Spring of 1997. Honeydew exudate-infested pan...