Sorghum infestation with fungal diseases in the Saratov Right Bank

Abstract

Currently, there is a certain tendency in Russia to increase the acreage occupied by sorghum crops. According to the Federal State Statistics Service, 90.0 thousand hectares of sorghum for grain were sown in 2021, and by 2022 the acreage under sorghum increased by 129.0%, which amounted to 116.0 thousand hectares. The choice of this crop, of course, is determined by its tolerance to soils, high drought resistance, the ability to withstand extreme positive temperatures in arid climatic conditions of Russia without loss of yield and grain quality, which allows the crop to be cultivated in many regions of the Russian Federation. However, the increase in the area of sowing is restrained by insufficient attention of production workers to the requirements of agricultural technology, biological features of culture. Sorghum has a complex of protective properties in relation to diseases, pests and unfavorable conditions: the presence of wax plaque, the content of alkaloids, silica and other substances that provide a high degree of resistance of this culture. Permanent sowing on the same areas leads to the accumulation of a large number of pathogens. Obtaining healthy seed material is one of the main agronomic requirements in ensuring high and stable yields. In this regard, the dependence of the initial growth indicators on the germination of sorghum seeds exposed to pathogens has been analyzed. The degree of damage to sorghum plants by smut diseases has been revealed. Keywords: SORGHUM, FUNGAL DISEASES, SEEDS, PATHOGEN, INFECTION