Embedded Files
Smut Fungi: A Compendium of Their Diversity and Distribution in India
Ajay Kumar Gautam, Rajnish Kumar Verma, Shubhi Avasthi, Sushma, Bandarupalli Devadatha, Shivani Thakur, Prem Lal Kashyap, Indu Bhushan Prasher, Rekha Bhadauria, Mekala Niranjan, Kiran Ramchandra Ranadive
MycoAsia 2021/01.
https://doi.org/10.59265/mycoasia.2021-01
Abstract
A compendium of Indian smut fungi with respect to their diversity and distribution is provided in this paper. After compiling all the information available in online and offline resources, it was revealed that Indian smut fungi comprise 18 genera and 159 species belonging to five families. About 189 host plant species belonging to eight families are reportedly infected by smut fungi, with Poaceae being the most infected. The genus Ustilago was reported with the highest number of species (48) from India, accounting for 30.38% of the total number of species. Ustilago was followed by Sporisorium and Anthracocystis. Other genera recorded from India include Ahmadiago, Bambusiomyces, Cintractia, Clinoconidium, Eriocaulago, Farysia, Franzpetrakia, Macalpinomyces, Melanopsichium, Melanotaenium, Moesziomyces, Pericladium, Stollia, Tolyposporium, and Tranzscheliella. The dispersed literature of Indian smut fungi, caused by the inaccessibility of literature on online platforms and the ceased publications of many journals, poses difficulties for researchers, especially young and emerging mycologists working on or starting taxonomic work on smut fungi. This paper provides a complete account of the diversity and distribution of Indian smut fungi in a single-source document, benefiting national and international students and plant pathologists working on smut fungi.
Plain Language Summary
Information about smut fungi, a group of plant-disease-causing fungi in India, is currently scattered and hard to find. This creates a challenge for scientists, particularly young researchers. This paper addresses the issue by compiling all available data into a single, complete resource. The guide reveals that India has 159 species of smut fungi that infect around 189 types of plants, with the grass family being the most affected. By creating this all-in-one document, the authors provide an essential tool for students and plant disease experts in India and around the world.
Report abuse