# List of sorghum diseases

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

## Bacterial

Bacterial diseases :
| Bacterial leaf spot | Pseudomonas syringae |
| Bacterial leaf streak | Xanthomonas campestris pv. holcicola |
| Bacterial leaf stripe | Burkholderia andropogonis |

## Fungi

Fungal diseases :
| Acremonium wilt | Acremonium strictum = Cephalosporium acremonium |
| Anthracnose (foliar, head, root and stalk rot) | Colletotrichum graminicola Glomerella graminicola [teleomorph] |
| Charcoal rot | Macrophomina phaseolina |
| Crazy top downy mildew | Sclerophthora macrospora = Sclerospora macrospora |
| Damping-off and seed rot | Aspergillus spp. Exserohilium spp. Fusarium spp. Penicillium spp. Pythium spp. Rhizoctonia spp. and other species. |
| Ergot | Sphacelia sorghi Claviceps sorghi [teleomorph] |
| Fusarium head blight, root and stalk rot | Fusarium moniliforme Gibberella fujikuroi [teleomorph] Other Fusarium spp. |
| Grain storage mold | Aspergillus spp. Penicillium spp. and other species. |
| Gray leaf spot | Cercospora sorghi |
| Latter leaf spot | Cercospora fusimaculans |
| Leaf blight | Setosphaeria turcica = Exserohilum turcicum [anamorph] = Helminthosporium turcicum |
| Milo disease (Periconia root rot) | Periconia circinata |
| Oval leaf spot | Ramulispora sorghicola |
| Pokkah Boeng (twisted top) | Gibberella fujikuroi var. subglutinans = Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans [anamorph] |
| Pythium root rot | Pythium graminicola Other Pythium spp. |
| Rough leaf spot | Ascochyta sorghi |
| Rust | Puccinia purpurea |
| Seedling blight and seed rot | Colletotrichum graminicola Exserohilum turcicum Fusarium moniliforme Pythium aphanidermatum Other Pythium spp. |
| Smut, covered kernel | Sporisorium sorghi = Sphacelotheca sorghi |
| Smut, head | Sphacelotheca reiliana = S. holci-sorghi |
| Smut, loose kernel | Sporisorium cruentum = S. cruenta |
| Sooty stripe | Ramulispora sorghi |
| Sorghum downy mildew | Peronosclerospora sorghi = Sclerospora sorghi |
| Tar spot | Phyllachora sacchari |
| Target leaf spot | Bipolaris cookei = Helminthosporium cookei |
| Zonate leaf spot and sheath blight | Gloeocercospora sorghi |

## Nematodes

Nematodes, parasitic :
| Awl | Dolichodorus spp. |
| Dagger, American | Xiphinema americanum |
| Lesion | Pratylenchus spp. |
| Needle | Longidorus africanus and other species |
| Pin | Paratylenchus spp. |
| Reniform | Rotylenchus spp. |
| Ring | Criconemella spp. |
| Root-knot | Meloidogyne spp. |
| Spiral | Helicotylenchus spp. |
| Sting | Belonolaimus longicaudatus |
| Stubby-root | Paratrichodorus spp. Paratrichodorus minor |
| Stunt | Tylenchorhynchus spp. Merlinius brevidens |

## Viruses

Viral diseases :
| Maize chlorotic dwarf | Maize chlorotic dwarf virus |
| Maize dwarf mosaic | Maize dwarf mosaic virus |
| Sugarcane mosaic | Sugarcane mosaic virus |

## Phytoplasma

Viral diseases :
| Yellow sorghum stunt | Yellow sorghum stunt 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.