Smut diseases of wheat and measures to combat them

Russia has a large amount of cultivated acreage for grain crops, the main of which is wheat. Grain is an annually renewable resource. Grain yield is a production intensity indicator that characterises the utilisation degree of the agroclimatic potential of the territory and the achieved technical level of production. Grain mass at all stages of its movement behaves like a living system in a “mobile” state. It has strong rules of processing, storage and needs systematic control. Control measures are especially important to identify and stop one of the most dangerous wheat diseases found in our country, i.e. smut. The main smut diseases affecting wheat in Russia are the stinking smut Tilletia levis, T. caries and the loose smut Ustiliago tritici. The state control is to examine the wheat producers whether they satisfy the requirements on quality and safety of grain. The quality and safety of wheat exported from Russia should meet the requirements of the grain-importing countries. The main requirements for the quality and safety of wheat are put forward by such major grain importers as Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Algeria and others. To prevent the smut disease of grain, the specialists use a chemical control method, particularly certain types of fungicides.