Ergot Photos
(Except as noted, all images are by Gary Odvody.  Use images freely, but give courtesy acknowledgement where reasonable to do so.)
Photos by Subject Index Photo Number
Ergot on axillary tillers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 53, 54, 55
Ergot on male-sterile forage 4, 13, 14, 15, 22, 24, 52, 70, 77
Ergot on Johnsongrass 12, 78
Ergot honeydew on grain sorghum heads 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 56, 73, 74, 75
Secondary sporulation on heads, leaves, soil 24, 31, 32, 38, 39, 42, 49, 51, 71, 79
C. africana macroconidia, secondary conidia 45, 50, 57, 58, 60, 61, 80, 81, 82
Ergot with Cerebella, other saprophytes 24, 26, 27, 43, 44, 72, 73
Ergot in harvested seed 19, 20
Ergot sclerotia 59, 64, 65, 66
Fungicide application for ergot control 67, 68, 69
Sorghum miscellaneous 62, 63
Hybrid production fields 17, 18, 55
Other ergots 46, 47, 48
Ergot on pearl millet (species unknown) 29, 40, 41

Click on the image below for a larger photograph.
1. Main head & axillary tillers with new ergot 1.   Main head and axillary tillers with new ergot showing as white sphacelia, South of Wolforth, TX, 9/97 2. Closeup of axillary tillers with new ergot 2.  Closeup of axillary tillers with new ergot showing as white sphacelia, South of Wolforth, TX, 9/97
3. Male sterile, poor nick main head, better seed set 2nd sucker, high ergot 3rd sucker 3.  Dumas, TX, male sterile, poor nick main head, better seed set on secondary sucker, high ergot on third sucker, 9/97 4. Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage 4.  Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage near Crosyton, TX, dry weather giving rapid crystallizing of honeydew, 9/97
5. Close up of ergot honeydew 5.  Close up of ergot honeydew, big drops plus evident sphacelia on sucker head,  male-sterile, Dumas TX, 9/97 6. Male-sterile, poor nick main head 6.   Male-sterile, poor nick main head, better seed set on secondary sucker, high ergot on third sucker, Dumas, TX, 9/97
7. Close up of ergot honeydew on an axillary tiller 7.  Close up of ergot honeydew on an axillary tiller (sucker head) male-sterile, Dumas, TX, 9/97 8. Close up of ergot honeydew 8.  Close up of ergot honeydew, larger droplets on an axillary tiller (sucker head) male-sterile, Dumas, TX, 9/97
Male-sterile, poor nick main head, heavy ergot on both axillary tiller 9.   Male-sterile, poor nick main head, heavy ergot on both axillary tillers with one in position to interfere with harvest, Dumas, TX, 9/97 Close up of ergot honeydew 10.  Close up of ergot honeydew, large droplets on an axillary tiller (sucker head), male sterile, Dumas, TX, 9/97
Close up of ergot honeydew and infection 11.  Close up of ergot honeydew and infection that occurred only on base of axillary tiller, male-sterile, Dumas, TX, 9/97 White sporulation of ergot on johnsongrass 12.  White sporulation of ergot on johnsongrass infected due to high inoculum from adjacent male-sterile forage, 9/97
Heavy honeydew production on male-sterile forage with high incidence of ergot 13.  Heavy honeydew production on male-sterile forage with high incidence of ergot, Beeville, TX, 10/97 Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage 14.  Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage near Crosbyton, TX, dry weather giving rapid crystallizing of honeydew, 9/97
Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage 15.  Heavy ergot infection of male sterile forage near Crosbyton, TX, dry weather giving rapid crystallizing of honeydew, 9/97 Honeydew droplets with high water content in early morning 16.  Honeydew droplets with high water content in early morning dew, opaque due to high conidial numbers of C. africana, Weslaco, TX, May 1997
Hybrid production field (poor nick), center pivot system 17.  Hybrid production field (poor nick), center pivot system, near Dumas, TX, 9/97 Hybrid production field, center pivot system 18.  Hybrid production field, center pivot system, near Dumas, TX, 9/97
Seed heavily encrusted with honeydew of ergot 19.  Seed heavily encrusted with honeydew of ergot, from 1996 hybrid seed production field, Bolivia, 1/97 Dried ergot sphacelia concentrated from taillings of seed 20.  Dried ergot sphacelia concentrated from taillings of seed produced near Uvalde, TX, 7/97
High incidence of ergot on ATX2752 21.  High incidence of ergot on ATX2752, heavy honeydew production, droplets drying rapidly in mid-morning heat, Corpus Christi, July 1997 Heavy honeydew production on male-sterile forage 22.  Heavy honeydew production on male-sterile forage with high incidence of ergot, Beeville, TX, 10/97
Male-sterile head of sorghum with C. africana sphacelia 23.  Male-sterile head of sorghum with C. africana sphacelia just beginning honeydew exudation, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 1985 Male-sterile forage, heavy ergot infection 24.  Male-sterile forage, heavy ergot infection earlier (left) with white sporulation, black (right with saprophytes, Beeville, TX, 10/97
New sphacelia of C. africana on sorghum 25.  New sphacelia of C. africana on sorghum with initially low numbers of conidia in darkly colored clear honeydew, 1997 Sorg. head with ergot, black areas are Cerebella 26.  Sorghum head with ergot, black areas are Cerebella, 2 hardened crystalline white honeydew droplets are visible and other liquid droplets of honeydew are normal, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Black saprophytic growth from previous ergot on volunteer sorg. 27.  Black saprophytic growth indicating previous ergot on volunteer sorghum established along roadside from seed fallen from trucks.  Ergot probably cool temperature related and also present on later tillers, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 2nd DOP TDA growouts, heavey honeydew 28.  Young head of tiller from sorghum hybrid in 2nd DOP TDA growouts showing heavey honeydew production from large sphacelia.  Some secondary sporulation is evident, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Honeydew dripped onto pearl millet leaves 29.  Honeydew dripped onto pearl millet leaves from infected pearl millet florets.  Most were either saprophytically colonized (center, top) clumps or were clear with little or no macroconidia, 3/97 Differential ergot infection on sorghum 30.  Differential ergot infection on sorghum.  Higher ergot to the extreme right/left, darker rows in middle have higher ergot than adjacent sorghum, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Fresh white sporulation of honeydew on sorghum leaf 31.  Fresh white sporulation of honeydew on sorghum leaf (left); fresh, clear to opaque honeydew dripped on to leaf (right); and black saprophytic fungal growth on old honeydew (bottom), 3/97 Fresh secondary sporulation of honeydew on sorghum leaf 32.  Fresh secondary sporulation of honeydew on sorghum leaf despite the increasingly dry conditions, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Hybrid sorghum with a high incidence and severity of ergot 33.  Hybrid sorghum with a high incidence and severity of ergot and producing very high amounts of honeydew, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 Sorghum hybrid  scattered infection, very large sphacelia 34.  Sorghum hybrid  scattered infection, very large sphacelia just beginning to produce honeydew, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
High incidence of ergot on sorghum 35.  High incidence of ergot on sorghum, 2nd DOP, TDA growouts, honeydew was dry or drying to hard mass in droplets or as internal amorphous mass held by internal rachis branches.   Rehydration slowly dissolved masses, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 Heavy development of saprophytes on ATX2752 36.  Heavy development of saprophytes on ATX2752 that earlier had a very high incidence of sorghum ergot, Beeville, TX, 8/97
Closeup sorghum ergot 37.  Closeup sorghum ergot showing both lighter, dry, hard honeydew droplets compared to darker ones not completely dry but solid to touch.  Note invaginated ares in some darker droplets indicating evaporation, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 Ergot honeydew, secondary sproulation, fresh liquid honeydew 38.  Left to right: ergot honeydew on sorghum glumes covered with secondary sproulation (or a whitish saprophyte), fresh liquid honeydew with no secondary sporulation, and hardened honeydew droplets, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Wet spot on soil from honeydew 39.  Ergot honeydew wet spot on soil where honeydew dripped from infected sorghum heads but has formed no econdary conidiation due to the dry soil environment, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 Pear millet showing new infection site(s) 40.  Pear millet showing new infection site(s) with heavy exudation of honeydew.  Most honeydew very clear.  Sphacelia not easily seen and apparently  remain small, maybe only 1 or 2 infection sites, Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97
Pearl millet showing one new area of honeydew exudation 41.  Pearl millet showing one new area of honeydew exudation (again, very clear) but most areas show exuded honeydew heavily colonized by saprophytes (left and top). probably Clasosporium spp., Williamson Ranch near Tampico, Mexico, 3/97 High incidence of C. africana 42.  High incidence of C. africana on ATX2752 male-sterile, high amount of honeydew plus secondary sporulation, Beevile, TX, 7/97
Cerebella developing on individual sphacelia of C. africana on sorghum, Weslaco, 5/97 43.  Cerebella developing on individual sphacelia of C. africana on sorghum, Weslaco, 5/97 High incidence of Cerebella on sphacelia of C. africana 44.  High incidence of Cerebella on sphacelia of C. africana, Zimbabwe, 4/85
Blue stained germinating C. africana macroconidium 45.  Blue stained germinating C. africana macroconidium (left) with conidiophore and secondary conidium (top right) (Photo courtesy of Gary Peterson, USDA) Dallis grass ergot, Wharton, TX, 7/97 46.  Dallis grass ergot, Wharton, TX, 7/97
Dallis grass ergot, honeydew heavily colonized by Fusarium spp. 47.  Dallis grass ergot, honeydew heavily colonized by Fusarium spp., Wharton, TX, 7/97 Dallis grass ergot, honeydew heavily colonized by Fusarium spp., 48.  Dallis grass ergot, honeydew heavily colonized by Fusarium spp., Wharton, TX, 7/97
Closeup of sporulation of C. africana on soil surface 49.  Closeup of sporulation of C. africana on soil surface where honeydew of C. africana dripped from infected male-sterile forage, Colwich, KS, 9/97 Stained macronoconidia of C. africana 50.  Stained macronoconidia of C. africana (Photo from Gary Peterson, USDA)
Sporulation of C. africana on soil surface 51.  Sporulation of C. africana on soil surface where honeydew of C. africana dripped from infected male-sterile forage, Colwich, KS, 9/97 High incidence of C. africana on male-sterile forage 52.  High incidence of C. africana on male-sterile forage, Corpus Christi, TX, 7/97
High harvest height of female seed parent 53.  High harvest height of female seed parent (ATX378) that avoided ergot in axillary tiller (right), Uvalde, TX, 8/97 High harvest height of female seed parent 54.  High harvest height of female seed parent (ATX378) that avoided ergot in axillary tiller (right), Uvalde, TX, 8/97
Combine with high cutter bar height to avoid ergot 55.  Combine with high cutter bar height to avoid ergot in axillary tillers of female seed parent (ATX378), Uvalde, TX, 8/97 Honeydew droplets with high water content in early morning dew, opaque due to high conidial numbers of C. africana, Weslaco, TX, 5/97 (High Resolution Photo, 6,458,608) 56.  Honeydew droplets with high water content in early morning dew, opaque due to high conidial numbers of C. africana, Weslaco, TX, 5/97 (High Resolution Photo, 6,458,608)
Conidophore and secondary conidia 57.  Scanning EM top view of germinating macroconidia of C. africana showing conidophore and secondary conidia (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson) Conidophore, and some secondary conidia at top 58.  Scanning EM top view of germinating macroconidia of (base), conidophore, and some secondary conidia at top (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson)
Full page scan of sclerotial figure C. africana 59.  Full page scan of sclerotial figure C. africana (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson) Full page scan of various scanning EM shots of conidial germination  60.  Full page scan of various scanning EM shots of conidial germination  C. africana (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson)
.Germinating macroconidia of Claviceps africana 61.  Germinating macroconidia of Claviceps africana (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson) Sorghum head beginning to flower: note feathery stigmas 62.  Sorghum head beginning to flower: note feathery stigmas, 2/97
Cross Section of ovary and female flower without stigmas 63.  Cross Section of ovary and female flower without stigmas (Photo courtesy of Loral Castor) Sclerotia of C. africana and C. sorghi 64.  Sclerotia of C. africana and C. sorghi (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson)
Stipe development on germinating sclerotium of C. africana  (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson) 65.  Stipe development on germinating sclerotium of C. africana  (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson) Stroma development on germinating sclerotium of C. africana  66.  Stroma development on germinating sclerotium of C. africana  (Photo courtesy of D. Frederickson)
Ground application of fungicides for ergot control 67.  Ground application of fungicides for ergot control, Brazil, 1996  (Photo courtesy of Paulo Ribas, Agroceres) Ground application of fungicides for ergot control, Brazil, 1996 68.  Ground application of fungicides for ergot control, Brazil, 1996  (Photo courtesy of Paulo Ribas, Agroceres)
Ground application of Tilt, propiconazole, Brazil, 6/97 69.  Ground application of Tilt, propiconazole, Brazil, 6/97 Syrupy honeydew covering inflorescence of male-sterile forage 70.  Syrupy honeydew covering inflorescence of male-sterile forage, southwest area of Puerto Rico, 2/97
White frosty appearance on surface of honeydew 71.  White frosty appearance on surface of honeydew indicating secondary sporulation on self-fertile forage sorghum, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97 Honeydew & heavy development of saprophytes 72.  Honeydew and heavy development of saprophytes on male-sterile infected with C. africana, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97
Honeydew and heavy development of saprophytes 73.  Honeydew and heavy development of saprophytes on male-sterile infected with C. africana, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97 High incidence of ergot 74.  High incidence of sorghum ergot on male-sterile, new sphacelia most not yet exuding honeydew, Isabella, Pureto Rico, 2/97
Incomplete fertility of self-fertile forage sorghum 75.  Incomplete fertility of self-fertile forage sorghum exposed by scattered sorghum ergot, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97 Closeup, incomplete fertility of self-fertile sorghum 76.  Closeup, incomplete fertility of self-fertile sorghum exposed by scattered sorghum ergot, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97
Closeup, syrupy honeydew covering inflorescence of male-sterile forage 77.  Closeup, syrupy honeydew covering inflorescence of male-sterile forage, southwest area of Puerto Rico, 2/97 White secondary sporulation indicating C. africana infection of johnsongrass, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97 78.  White secondary sporulation indicating C. africana infection of johnsongrass, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97
White frosty appearance on surface of honeydew 79.  White frosty appearance on surface of honeydew indicating secondary sporulation of C. africana on self-fertile forage sorghum, Isabella, Puerto Rico, 2/97 Detached secondary conidia of C. africana 80.  Detached secondary conidia of C. africana.   Note prominent hilum where previously attached to conidiophore
Aerial conidia of C. africana produced singly at the tip of a conidiophore 81.  Secondary aerial conidia of C. africana produced singly at the tip of a conidiophore Macroconidia of C. africana from ergot honeydew 82.  Macroconidia of C. africana from ergot honeydew

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