Hot water treatment of wheat and barley seed is useful for control of _________. (MP RAEO 2021 Shift 1)

 🔑Key Points:
Disease characteristics: Loose smut is a fungal disease that affects wheat and barley crops. The causal organism for this disease is Ustilago tritici in wheat and Ustilago nuda in barley. It primarily targets the inflorescence of the plants, turning the heads into a mass of black, powdery spores.
Hot water treatment: Hot water treatment is a technique used to control loose smut by soaking the seeds in hot water for a specific time and temperature. This treatment kills the fungal spores present inside the seeds, preventing the spread of the disease to the growing plants. The general practice is to immerse the seeds in water heated to 50°C (122°F) for 10 minutes, followed by a rapid cooling in cold water.
Effectiveness: Hot water treatment is considered effective in controlling loose smut. It can reduce the incidence of the disease by up to 95%. This method is especially useful for organic farming systems, where the use of chemical fungicides may be limited or prohibited.