This article is a list of diseases of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum).
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseasesBacterial spot Pseudomonas syringaeBacterial leaf streak Xanthomonas campestris pv. pennamericanumBacterial leaf stripe Acidovorax avenaeStem rot of Pearl MilletKlebsiella aerogenes
Fungal diseases
Fungal diseasesBipolaris leaf spot Bipolaris setariaeCercospora leaf spot Cercospora pennisetiCurvularia leaf spot Curvularia pennisetiDactuliophora leaf spot Dactuliophora elongataDowny mildew Sclerospora graminicola Downy mildew Plasmopara pennisetiDrechslera leaf spot Drechslera dematioideaErgot Claviceps fusiformisExserohilum leaf blight Exserohilum rostratumFalse mildew Beniowskia sphaeroideaHead mold Various fungiMyrothecium leaf spot Myrothecium roridumPhyllosticta leaf blight Phyllosticta penicillariaePyricularia leaf spot Pyricularia griseaRhizoctonia blight Rhizoctonia solani Rhizoctonia zeaeRust Puccinia substriata var. indicaSeedling blight Various fungi Smut Moesziomyces penicillariaeSouthern blight Sclerotium rolfsii Top rot Fusarium moniliformeZonate leaf spot Gloeocercospora sorghi
Viral diseases
Viral diseasesBlack streaked dwarf virus Guinea grass mosaic virus Maize dwarf mosaic virus Maize streak virus Panicum mosaic virus Satellite panicum mosaic virus Wheat streak mosaic virus
Nematodes, parasitic
Nematodes, parasiticBurrowing nematode Radopholus similisCyst nematode Heterodera gambiensisDagger nematode Xiphinema americanum Lance nematode Hoplolaimus indicusPanagrolaimus nematode Panagrolaimus spp. Ring nematode Criconemella ornataRoot knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita Meloidogyne javanica Meloidogyne arenariaRoot lesion nematode Pratylenchus mulchandi Pratylenchus brachyurus Pratylenchus zeaeSting nematode Belonolaimus longicaudatusStubby-root nematode Paratrichodorus minorStunt nematode Tylenchorhynchus vulgaris Tylenchorhynchus phaseoli Tylenchorhynchus zeae
Insects Insect pests include:
Seedling pests shoot fly Atherigona approximata (major seedling pest) Atherigona soccata, Atherigona oryzae, Atherigona punctata, Atherigona ponti, and Atherigona yorki anthomyiid flies Delia arambourgi and Delia flavibasis (Ethiopia)
Stem borers lepidopteran borers: Chilo partellus, Chilo infuscatellus, Sesamia calamistis, Sesamia cretica, Sesamia inferens, Diatraea grandiosella, Coniesta ignefusalis, Busseola fusca, Eldana saccharina, Ostrinia furnacalis, and Ostrinia nubilalis
Leaf feeders lepidopteran caterpillars: Amsacta moorei, Mythimna loreyi, Mythimna separata, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Cnaphalocrocis patnalis, Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera mauritia, Autoba silicula grasshoppers: Diabolocatantops axillaris, Hieroglyphus banian, Hieroglyphus daganensis, Oedaleus senegalensis, and Schistocerca gregaria
Sucking pests bugs: Blissus leucopterus, Nysius niger hoppers: Cicadulina mbila, Cicadulina storeyi, and Pyrilla perpusilla aphids: Rhopalosiphum maidis, Sitobion miscanthi, and Hyalopterus pruni
Other pests beetle Chiloloba acuta millet midge Geromyia penniseti Euproctis spp., Orvasca subnotata, and Helicoverpa armigera Spodoptera exempta, Spilarctia obliqua, Pachnoda interrupta, Phyllophaga spp., Thrips hawaiiensis, Myllocerus spp., and Peregrinus maidis Holotrichia consanguinea and Holotrichia serrata Tribolium castaneumMeagher, R.L., Reed, C., Mills, R.B. 1982. Development of Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum in whole, cracked, and ground pearl millet. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 55(1): 91–94.
Africa The larvae of several insect species, primarily belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, as well as Orthoptera adults, are persistent pearl millet pests in the Sahel.S. Krall, O. Youm, and S. A. Kogo. Panicle insect pest damage and yield loss in pearl millet.Jago, N. D. 1993. Millet pests of the Sahel: biology, monitoring and control. Chatham UK: Natural Resources Institute. 66 pp. .Matthews, M. and N. D. Jago. 1993. Millet pests of the Sahel: an identification guide. Chatham UK: Natural Resources Institute. (80 p.) . The following pest species are reported for northern Mali.Ruparao T. Gahukar, Gadi V. P. Reddy. Management of Economically Important Insect Pests of Millet. Journal of Integrated Pest Management (2019) 10(1): 28; 1–10 https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz026
Coniesta ignefusalis (pearl millet stem-borer; Lepidoptera, Crambidae) attacks pearl millet, and also sorghum and maize, especially in the Sahel. It is the main pearl millet pest in Senegal. Heliocheilus albipunctella (pearl millet head-miner; Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) attacks pearl millet. The larvae bore in a spiral path, destroying florets or grain. Geromyia penniseti (millet grain midge): The larvae eat the developing grain and form white pupal cases attached to the tips of spikelets. Reported losses in Senegal are as high as 90 percent. Pachnoda interrupta (millet beetle) Psalydolytta fusca and Psalydolytta vestita (pearl millet blister beetle; Coleoptera, Meloidae) attack pearl millet. They are major millet pests in Mali. Rhinyptia infuscata (Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Anomalini) is a nocturnal beetle, recorded as a locally important pest on millet flowers in Niger. Farmers in Niger often fight the species using fires set at night. It is also reported as sorghum pest in Senegal, and as a pest on maize, where the larvae attack the roots. Sesamia calamistis (pink stem borer), especially in lowland forests. This species and the sugarcane borer (Eldana saccharina) are the primary pests of the pearl millet in Ivory Coast.Bekoye, B. M., and A. Dadie. 2015. Evaluation des pertes en grains de mil dues aux insectes. Eur. Sci. J. 11: 266–275. gall midges (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae): millet grain midge (Geromyia penniseti), sorghum midge (Contarinia sorghicola), and African rice gall midge (Orseolia oryzivora). Dysdercus volkeri (cotton-stainer; Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae) attacks flowers.
Grasshoppers that frequently attack millets in the Dogon country of Mali are Oedaleus senegalensis, Kraussaria angulifera, Cataloipus cymbiferus, and Diabolocatantops axillaris.
In northern Ghana, Poophilus costalis (spittle bug) is reported as a millet pest, as well as Dysdercus volkeri, Heliocheilus albipunctella, Coniesta ignefusalis, and caterpillars of Amsacta moloneyi and Helicoverpa armigera.Tanzubil, Paul B. & Emmanuel A. Yakubu (1997). Insect pests of millet in Northern Ghana. 1. Farmers' perceptions and damage potential. International Journal of Pest Management, 43:2, 133-136.
In northern Nigeria, heavy infestations of Hycleus species, including Hycleus terminatus (syn. Mylabris afzelli), Hycleus fimbriatus (syn. Mylabris fimbriatus), Hycleus hermanniae (syn. Coryna hermanniae), and Hycleus chevrolati (syn. Coryna chevrolati), have affected early plantings of pearl millet crops.Lale, N. E. S., and B. M. Sastawa. 2000. Evaluation of host plant resistance, sowing date modification and intercropping as methods for the control of Mylabris and Coryna species (Coleoptera: Meloidae) infesting pearl millet in the Nigerian Sudan savanna. J. Arid Environ. 46: 263–280.
Other regions In South India, pests include the shoot fly Atherigona approximata.Natarajan, V. S., V. D. G. Raja, and S. Anavardham. 1973. Extent of damage caused by shoot fly (Atherigona approximate) on bajra hybrid. Madras Agric. J. 60: 584–585.
In North America, regular pests include the chinch bug Blissus leucopterus.Buntin, G. D., X. Ni, and J. P. Wilson. 2007. Chinch bug control in pearl millet for grain production. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 32: F41.Ni, X., J. P. Wilson, J. A. Rajewski, G. D. Buntin, and I. Dweikat. 2007. Field screening of pearl millet for chinch bug (Heteroptera: Blissidae) resistance. J. Entomol. Sci. 42: 467–480.Rajewski, J. A., X. Ni, J. P. Wilson, and I. Dweikat. 2009. Evaluation of resistance to chinch bug in pearl millet in temperate and subtropical environments.Starks, K. J., A. J. Cassady, O. G. Merkle, and D. Boozaya-Angoon. 1982. Chinch bug resistance in pearl millet. J. Econ. Entomol. 75: 337–339.Wilson, J. P., B. Ouendeba, and W. W. Hanna. 2008. Diallel analysis of chinch bug damage to pearl millet. International Sorghum Millets Newsletter 41: 78–79.
See also List of insect pests of millets List of sorghum diseases
References
Common Names of Diseases, The American Phytopathological Society