onion smut
Definition
Noun: 1. A plant disease: A fungal disease, specifically a type of smut, that affects onion plants (Allium cepa). The disease is characterized by the formation of dark, blister-like pustules or streaks containing masses of black fungal spores on the scales, leaves, and sometimes bulbs of the plant. It is particularly harmful to young, developing onion plants (seedlings).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The farmer identified onion smut by the black streaks on the leaves of his crop.
- Onion smut can devastate a field of seedlings if not managed properly.
- Controlling onion smut often requires crop rotation and fungicide treatment.
Advanced Usage
- As a subject of agricultural study: The term is used in phytopathology (plant disease science) to describe a specific pathogen-host interaction.
- The research paper focused on the life cycle of the fungus that causes onion smut.
Variants and Related Words
- Smut (n): A general term for plant diseases caused by fungi of the order Ustilaginales, which produce sooty, spore-filled masses. Onion smut is a specific type of smut.
- Urocystis cepulae (n): The scientific name for the fungus that causes onion smut.
Synonyms
- Plant pathogen (general): An organism that causes disease in plants.
- Fungal disease (general): A disease caused by a fungus.
Notes on Meaning
This term has a single, specific meaning in botany and agriculture. It refers exclusively to the disease caused by the fungus Urocystis cepulae on onions and related Allium species. It is not used in a general or figurative sense.
Noun
-
smut fungus causing blackish blisters on scales and leaves of onions; especially destructive to seedlings
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