List of sorghum diseases

This article is a list of diseases of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).

Bacterial

Fungi

Nematodes

Viruses

Phytoplasma

Insects

Insect pests include:

Root feeders

• White grubs
• Holotrichia serrata
• Lachnosterna consanguinea
• wireworms (Elateridae, Tenebrionidae)
• underground burrowing bugs, Stibaropus spp.
• termites
• Odontotermes spp.
• Microtermes sp.
• ants
• Monomorium salomonis
• Pheidole sulcaticeps

Seedling pests

• shoot fly, Atherigona soccata
• cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon

Stem borers and leaf feeders

• spotted stalk borer, Chilo partellus
• pink borer, Sesamia inferens
• armyworm, Mythimna separata
• Spodoptera exempta
• caterpillars Amsacta albistriga, Amsacta lactinea, Euproctis virguncula, Cnaphalocrocis patnalis, and Mocis frugalis
• chrysomelid leaf beetles Chaetocnema indica, Longitarsus spp., and Phyllotreta chotonica
• ash weevil Myllocerus undecimpustulatus maculosus
• grasshoppers, Nomadacris septemfasciata, Acrida exaltata, Aiolopus longicornis, Aiolopus simulatrix, Aiolopus thalassinus, Atractomorpha crenulata, Chrotogonus hemipterus, Diabolocatantops axillaris, Hieroglyphus banian, and Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus
• grasshopper Conocephalus maculatus (eastern India)
• grasshopper Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus (western India)

Sucking pests

• shoot bug Peregrinus maidis (transmits two viral diseases, maize mosaic virus (MMV) and maize stripe virus (MStpV))
• corn aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis
• sugarcane leafhopper Pyrilla perpusilla
• hemipterous bugs, Cletus punctiger, Dolycoris indicus, Empoasca flavescens, Lygaeus spp., Menida histrio, Nephotettix virescens, and Nezara viridula
• thrips, especially Caliothrips indicus, Sorghothrips jonnaphilus

Earhead pests

• sorghum midge Stenodiplosis sorghicola
• earhead bug Calocoris angustatus
• bugs, like Dysdercus koenigii and Nezara viridula
• lepidopteran caterpillars are found feeding on developing grains: Autoba silicula, Cryptoblabes gnidiella, Cydia spp., Conogethes punctiferalis, Ephestia cautella, Eublemma spp., Euproctis limbata, Euproctis subnotata, Helicoverpa armigera
• maize cob borer Stenachroia elongella, especially in east India
• beetle species, Chiloloba acuta, Mylabris pustulata, and Cylindrothorax tenuicollis

Grain pests

• Sitophilus spp. (attacks stored grains)

Africa

The following pest species are reported for sorghum crops in northern Mali.

• Atherigona soccata (sorghum shoot fly, a major pest): The larvae cut the growing point of the sorghum leaf.
• Agonoscelis pubescens is also reported as a sorghum pest.
• Busseola fusca (maize stem-borer; Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) attacks maize and sorghum, and occurs especially at higher altitudes. It is a common pest in East Africa, but has also spread to West Africa.
• Chilo partellus (spotted stem-borer; Lepidoptera, Crambidae): introduced, from East Africa but spreading. The larvae attack sorghum and maize. Present at low and mid altitudes.
• Contarinia sorghicola (sorghum midge or cecidomyie du sorgho in French; Diptera, Cecidomyiidae): The adult resembles mosquitoes. Larvae feed on developing ovaries of sorghum grains.
• Melanaphis sacchari (sugar cane aphid) attacks sorghum.

Sitophilus zeamais (maize weevil) and Sitotroga cerealella (Angoumois grain moth) attack stored sorghum and maize.

See also

• List of insect pests of millets
• List of pearl millet diseases

References

• Common Names of Diseases, The American Phytopathological Society (APS)