Ergot is a serious disease that reduces seed yield and quality in hybrid seed production fields, particularly if seed set is delayed in male-sterile lines.
Several countries have strict quarantine regulations barring the import of seed from affected areas.
The sexual stage of the Indian pathogen is Claviceps sorghi , and of the African pathogen is C. africana . By 1996, the disease was also found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia. Further movement of the disease into the USA is a real threat unless preventive measures are taken. In April 1996, the disease was reported in southern Queensland where it spread over 60,000 km 2 in 3 weeks. Sorghum researchers and the seed industries in Australia, Brazil, and the USA are very worried because of the near-total dependence of farmers on hybrids.