Ear cockle can be effectively controlled by floating seed lots in a 2% salt solution.
The lightweight galls float to the surface and can be easily skimmed off, leaving healthy, clean seeds at the bottom.
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Ear cockle (also known as seed gall disease) is a destructive disease of wheat that affects the developing grains.
It causes healthy grains in the ear head to be replaced by dark, hard galls (cockles) containing thousands of microscopic pathogens. Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The primary cause of the 'Ear cockle' disease in wheat is a parasitic nematode species named *Anguina tritici* (the wheat seed gall nematode).
The disease cycle begins when galls contaminate seed lots and are sown into the soil.
The nematode larvae emerge, migrate to the growing point of the wheat seedling, and eventually invade the developing floral parts.
Instead of normal grains forming, the floral tissue is converted into nematode-filled galls.
In many regions, *Anguina tritici* is associated with the bacterium *Clavibacter tritici*.
The bacterium hitches a ride on the nematode to enter the plant, causing a complex disease called 'Yellow ear rot' or 'Tundu' alongside the ear cockle.
However, the primary cause of the physical cockles/galls is the nematode itself. Step 2: Final Answer:
The disease 'Ear cockle' of wheat is caused by Nematodes (*Anguina tritici*).
