Abstract
Annually both Belg and main seasons survey of tef diseases was done. In each of the 2019 and 2020 the cropping season, survey of tef diseases was done in both short rainy and long rainy seasons. The survey aimed to monitor emerging or new tef disease in major tef growing regions. During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 cropping season survey, new disease was observed in different areas. The survey aimed to collect unusual tef disease samples observed in the field and report the newly recorded disease. The samples from diseased tef varieties were collected and observed under a microscope directly without culturing because the pathogen is obligate. This disease is known to attack the reproductive organ of the tef plant before heading. The infected part of the plant was swollen and was filled with teliospores. The disease was observed on Quncho, Magna, and Boset varieties in Alaba Zone and West Arsi Zone around Negelle Arsi and Shashemene in Southern Nation Nationality and People and Oromia region, respectively. The diagnosis was easily confirmed by planting imbibed and un imbibed seeds of Quncho in a greenhouse. Imbibed seeds with teliospores of smut gave the same signs to the one observed in the field, while signs were not observed in the unimbibed seeds. The spore cells were slightly circular shapes and measure 5-10 µm in diameter was observed. On the basis of these morphological features; the disease was identified as smut. Species-level identification of this pathogen, evaluation of tef genotypes against this disease, distribution of the pathogen and host range identification is future works.
Highlights
Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an indigenous staple cereal crop of Ethiopia
Tef diseases survey was made during the short rainy season (Belg) and main season (Meher) curried out in major tef growing areas in 2019/20 G.C in the country
After three months the same signs were observed on the imbibed tef seeds with teliospores and the control or the check was free from the disease
Summary
Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an indigenous staple cereal crop of Ethiopia. Tef is often considered as a relatively healthy crop since it suffers very little from epidemics of pests including diseases as compared to most other crops grown in the country [3, 5] This has, amongst others, been because the crop species being an indigenous ancient crop originated and domesticated in Ethiopia before the Semetic invasion of 4000-1000 BC [7], it has co-evolved with the pathogens and other pests over the millennia of its. Distribution of tef head smudge (Helminthosporium miyakei Nisikado) disease durining short rainy and main seasons was reported [10] This disease was observed on different tef varieties and found in all the surveyed areas. The planting was done under room temperature (25oC) and relative humidity was about 69%
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