TABLE 1 The world's staplea crops and their principal diseases
  Principal diseases
   
Crop Fungal Viral Nematode Bacterial Oomycete
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Mildew: Erysiphe graminis (Blumeria graminis) Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus Root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne sp.)    
  Spot blotch: Cochliobolus sativus Stripe mosaic (barley stripe mosaic hordeivirus) Cyst nematode (Heterodera sp.)    
  Scald: Rhynchosporium secalis   Root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus sp.)    
  Scab: Gibberella zeae        
  Rusts: Puccinia spp.        
  Net blotch: Pyrenophora teres        
  Barley stripe: Pyrenophora graminea        
  Smuts: Ustilago spp.        
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Anthracnose: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Glomerella cingulata) Cassava mosaic: African cassava mosaic geminivirus, East African cassava mosaic geminivirus, Indian cassava mosaic geminivirus   Bacterial blight: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis  
Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lentis        
  Blight: Ascochyta lentis (Didymella lentis)        
  Rust: Uromyces viciae-fabae        
  Vascular wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lentis        
  Anthracnose: Colletotrichum truncatum        
Maize (Zea mays) Northern corn leaf blight: Helminthosporium turcicum (Setosphaeria turcica) Chlorotic dwarf: maize chlorotic dwarf machlovirus   Stewart's wilt: Erwinia stewartii Downy mildew: Sclerospora spp. and others
         
  Southern corn leaf blight: H. maydis (Cochliobolus heterostrophus) Streak: maize streak geminivirus   Corn stunt disease: Spiroplasma kunkelii  
  Rust: Puccinia spp. Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus      
  Smut: Ustilago zeae        
  Stalk and ear rots: Gibberella zeae, Diplodia spp. and others        
Millet          
Common millet (Panicum miliaceum)         Downy mildew: Sclerospora graminicola
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) Blast: Pyricularia setariae        
  Leaf blight: Cochliobolus nodulosus        
Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) Blast: Pyricularia setariae       Downy mildew: Sclerospora graminicola
  Rust: Uromyces setariae-italicae        
  Smut: Ustilago crameri        
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) Ergot: Claviceps fusiformis       Downy mildew: Sclerospora graminicola
Teff (Eragrostis tef) Rust: Uromyces eragrostidis        
  Head smudge: Helminthosporium miyakei        
Oats (Avena sativa) Crown rust: Puccinia coronata Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus   Halo blight: Pseudomonas syringae pv. coronafaciens  
  Stem rust: Puccinia graminis Mosaic: oat mosaic potyvirus      
  Powdery mildew: Erysiphe graminis (Blumeria graminis) Golden stripe: oat golden stripe furovirus      
  Smut diseases: Ustilago avenae and U. hordei        
  Leaf blight: Phaeosphaeria avenaria        
  Various diseases caused by Fusarium spp., including root rot and crown rot        
  Seedling blight: Glomerella graminicola        
  Snow mold: Monographella nivalis        
  Leaf blotch: Pyrenophera avenae (P. chaetomioides)        
  'Groat-blackening' mainly caused by Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, and Cladosporium spp.        
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Early blight: Alternaria solani Leafroll: potato leafroll luteovirus   Bacterial wilt: Ralstonia solanacearum Late blight: Phytophthora infestans
  Black scurf: Rhizoctonia solani Mosaic viruses: notably potato X potexvirus, potato Y potyvirus   Bacterial soft rot: Erwinia carotovora Pink rot: Phytophthora erythroseptica
        Common scab: Streptomyces scabies  
        Bacterial ring rot: Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus  
Rice (Oryza sativa) Blast: Magnaporthe grisea Rice tungro disease: rice tungro spherical machlovirus, rice tungro bacilliform badnavirus   Bacterial leaf blight: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae  
  Brown spot: Cochliobolus miyabeanus Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus      
  Sheath blight: Rhizoctonia solani        
         
Rye (Secale cereale) Snow mold: Monographella nivalis Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus Eelworm: Ditylenchus dipsaci    
  Brown rust: Puccinia recondita        
  Ergot: Claviceps purpurea        
  Eyespot: Tapesia yallundae        
  Sharp eyespot: Rhizoctonia solani        
  Powdery mildew: Erysiphe graminis (Blumeria graminis)        
  Stem rust: Puccinia graminis        
  Glume blotch: Phaeosphaeria nodorum        
  Leaf blotch: Rynchosporium secalis        
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Grain molds: complex of fungal pathogens, predominantly Cochliobolus lunatus, Fusarium spp. and Mycosphaerella holci Streak disease: maize streak geminivirus     Downy mildew: Peronosclerospora sorghi
  Anthracnose: Glomerella graminicola        
  Leaf blight: Setosphaeria turcica        
  Zonate leaf spot: Gloeocercospora sorghi        
  Tar spot: Phyllachora sorghi        
  Charcoal rot: Macrophomina phaseolina        
  Rust: Puccinia purpurea        
  Ergot: Claviceps sorghi        
Soybean (Glycine max) Rust: Phakopsora pachyrhizi Mosaic: soybean mosaic potyvirus   Bacterial pustule: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli Downy mildew: Peronospora manshurica
    Yellow mosaic: bean yellow mosaic potyvirus      
  Anthracnose: Colletotrichum truncatum and Glomerella glycines        
  Purple seed stain: Cercospora kikuchii        
  Pod and stem blight: Diaporthe phaseolorum var. sojae        
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) Scab: Sphaceloma batatas (Elsino batatas) Feathery mottle: sweet potato feathery mottle potyvirus Root-knot nematode: Meloidogyne spp. Soil rot: Streptomyces ipomoea  
  Fusarium wilt: Fusarium oxysporum     Little leaf: sweet potato little leaf phytoplasma  
  Black rot: Ceratocystis fimbriata        
  Java black rot: Botryodiplodia theobromae        
  Scurf: Monilochaetes infuscans        
Wheat (Triticum aestivum, bread wheat; Triticum turgidum, durum wheat) Stem rust: Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici Yellow dwarf: barley yellow dwarf luteovirus   Bacterial leaf streak or black chaff: Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa  
  Leaf rust: Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici        
  Stripe or yellow rust: Puccinia striiformis        
  Spot blotch: Cochliobolus sativus        
  Head scab and foot/root rot: Fusarium spp.        
  Sclerotium foot rot: Corticium rolfsii        
  Tan spot: Pyrenophora tritici-repentis        
  Powdery mildew: Erysiphe graminis (Blumeria graminis)        
  Speckled leaf blotch: Mycosphaerella graminicola        
  Glume blotch: Phaeosphaeria nodorum        
  Alternaria leaf blight: Alternaria spp.        
  Loose smut: Ustilago nuda f.sp. tritici        
  Rhizoctonia root rot: Rhizoctonia spp.        
Yam (Dioscorea alata) Anthracnose: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Glomerella cingulata) Yam virus complex: including yam mosaic potyvirus, yam mild mosaic potyvirus      
  Tuber rots: Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Rosellinia spp.)        

aCrops identified as staples in FAO.