maladie stérilisante

OBS: maladie stérilisante : terme extrait du «Glossaire de l’agriculture» et reproduit avec l’autorisation de l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques.

CONT: Blind seed disease, caused by Gloeotinia temulenta, can cause considerable losses in forage grasses managed for seed production. ... The fungus infects the developing embryo, which then becomes a partially shrunken, rusty-brown caryopsis (small, dry fruit) rather than a healthy seed. Infected seeds are indistinguishable from healthy seeds, but they can be detected when glumes are removed. The fungus survives in infected seeds in the soil and reproduces above-ground in the developing grass floret. The spores are wind-blown and gain entry to an open floret just below the stigma, completing the primary infection. The fungus destroys the embryo, preventing seed formation and producing the typical ""blind seed.""