The disease was confirmed as karnal bunt today. A scientific panel comprised of state, federal and industry technical experts and scientists is being convened to determine further actions. This is a localized find and emergency quarantines have been instituted on those infected properties, seed, farm equipment, planted wheat and soil associated with the infected wheat. State and Federal quarantines will be put into place to augment this emergency action and the Department has established a wheat export certification team to develop options for dealing with potential trade issues. Karnal bunt, or partial bunt, is a fungal disease of wheat, durum wheat, and triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye.
Infected plants produce less grain, and the quality of the grain itself is lessened.
Typically, only a portion of the kernel is affected, which is why the disease is sometimes called partial bunt.