The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-11-25
SHUTS ARE MOST DESTRUCTIVE TO CEREAL
CROPS IN ALL GRAlN-GROWlNG SECTIONS

false kernels or smut balls which give
the heads a dark color These smut
balls contain greasy ill-smellng
mass of smut spores
In thrashing operations these smut
balls are knocked out and the head
more or less broken apart and the
smut spores scattered over the sound
kernels; such grain has a darker color
and diSagreeable odor due to the
presence of the smut spores. Smutty
wheat is docked more or less by the
miller
When smutty seed is sown in the
soil the stinkng smut spores germi.
nate simultaneously with the wheat
kernels, and the smut fungus pene-
trates the young wheat plant. 1t con-
tinues to grow within the tissues Of
the wheat plant and forms its spores
in the place where the healthy kernels
should be developed.
Control of Loose Smut.
Loose smut is very difficult to con-
troll because the fungus is inside Of the
seed which is sown and hence can not
be reached by ordinary chemicals with
out killing the wheat embryo. The
disease however, can be controlled by
| the sO-called hot-water treatment. The
method involves soaking the seed grain
! i'm cold water for to hours. 1t IS
! then dipped i'm hot water at tempera-
! ture Of 129 degrees Fahrenheit FOR 10
| minutes the seed should then be
! spread out to dry.
1t is very important that the water
! be kept at the exact temperature and
! the seed immersed for just the cor
rect period of time. If the water is
| allowed to get one or two degrees
above the temperature indicated, or
the time prolonged beyond the 10 min
utes, considerable injury to the grain
will result.
The hot-Water treatment, on account
Of its difficulties, is not practicable on
the average farm. One must have
an accurate thermometer and facilities
for keeping the temperature of the wa
ter constant. This can be done quite
easily where steam is available
Some progress is being made in de-
veloping central treating plants where
adequate facilities are available for
carrying out the treatment. The farm
er brings his grain to this plant and
an expert looks after its treatment
In those sections where loose smut is
particularly destructive, 1t would seen
advisable for the county agents tC
develop the central treating plant
wherever possible.
The Control of Bunt
Bunt, or stinking smut, is readily
controlled by the use Of formaldehyde
A simple procedure is to place 1 pin
or l pound of commercial fOrmalde
hyde in 40 gallons Of water The seeC
to be treated should be freed as mucI
as possible from smut balls and Other
foreign matter, and should then be dip
ped in the folmaldehyde solution anC
kept there about 10 minutes. During
this period the sack should be RAISED
and lowered so as to stir up the graiI
, and get 1t thoroughly in contact will
the solution. After treatment tn,
grain should be spread out to dry anC
= then sown as soon as possible. On
? pint Of formaldehyde solution, dis
- solved in 40 gallons of water, is sum
! cient to treat about 40 bushels Of see,
: grain.
Another method of applying tn
! solution is to spread the gfain to b.
] treated on a clean floor, and by mean
3 of a sprinkling can sprinkle the solu
} ton over the grain. The grain shoul
be shoveled over IN order to get III
] solution well in contact with the grain
The solution should be applied at tn
9 rate Of about one gallon to one bush
el of seed grain. The grain should b.
3 piled up and covered with sacks o
K canvas and left for two or three hours
3 1t should then be spread out to dr.
e. and sOwn as soon as possible.
e After treating the grain, great car
S must be taken not to place it on
r floor or in sacks which are contam
I mated with the bunt spores, or to SOY
1t i'm drill which Is contaminated.