Common Bunt
Historically, this is a wheat disease that can be controlled with seed treatment. Common bunt is characterized by the formation of bunt balls in the heads of infected plants that, when crushed, release thousands of dark spores that appear black in mass. They also smell of rotting fish, hence the name “stinking smut” is also attached to the name common bunt. When the spores are released from the bunt balls during harvest, they contaminate healthy seed or fall on the soil where they can survive for 10 years or more. Infection occurs from seed borne or soil borne spores near the soil surface. Cool temperatures, during seed germination, favor spore germination and infection of the seedling. While the seed borne common bunt is fairly easy to control with seed treatment, it is the soil borne phase that is more difficult to control.