Loose smut of wheat can be controlled by (JFR Plant Science 2018)

✅Explanation: Loose smut of wheat, caused by the fungus Ustilago tritici, is a seed-borne disease. It can be effectively controlled by treating seeds with systemic fungicides like Vitavax (Carboxin) before planting.

🔑Key Points:
-The disease is caused by the fungus Ustilago tritici, which survives as dormant mycelium in the embryo of infected grain.
-The major symptom of loose smut is the "smutted" grain heads, which contain masses of black or brown spores.
-After spores disperse, only a bare rachis remains with a few fragments of glumes or awns.