[1] Infection of the wheat occurs during germination of the plant seed and is favored by cool, wet conditions.

[2] After karyogamy, the teliospores germinate to form a basidium, on which 8–16 haploid basidiospores (primary sporidia) will develop.

[2] The pathogen grows within the terminal meristem via mycelium and completes its life cycle by transforming the mycelial cells into teliospores.

[3] Agropyron (wheatgrass), Bromus (bromegrasses), Elymus (wildrye), Festuca (fescues), Hordeum (barleys), Lolium (ryegrasses), Poa (meadow grass), Secale cereale (rye), Triticale, Triticum spp.

[5] When the mature kernels are broken, they are full of a black, powdery mass of the fungal spores.

Today, losses from smut rarely occur unless a grower chooses not to plant treated seed,[6] but, if left untreated, bunt can reduce yield by more than 50%.

[5] If there is a significant T. caries infection, the dusty and oily spore masses released during harvest can lead to combine explosions.

[7] The most effective and widely used management strategy for common bunt is to treat seed with fungicide before planting.