Tilletia laevis

Tilletia laevis is a fungus that causes a plant disease known as bunt, or stinking smut, primarily affecting wheat, rye, and other grasses. This fungal disease replaces normal kernels with "smut balls" filled with powdery, brownish-black spores that have a distinct dead-fish odor.12

The spores contaminate healthy kernels during harvest and can remain viable in soil for years. Infection typically occurs in cool, moist soil when seedlings germinate. Bunt has historically caused significant yield and quality losses in cereal crops worldwide. While difficult to identify in infected plants, they may appear stunted with slender heads. Management strategies include planting resistant varieties, using fungicide-treated seeds, crop rotation, and proper equipment sterilization.2