Canadian Grain Commission
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Ergot of cereals and grasses

By Penny Pearse, Plant Disease Specialist
Saskatchewan Food and Agriculture
September 7, 1999, revised June 2006

Reproduced with the permission of Saskatchewan Food and Agriculture.

Ergot is a plant disease caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which infects the developing grains of cereals and grasses.