Peanut Smut in Argentina: An Analysis of the Disease, Advances, and Challenges

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally high-value food crop, with Argentina ranking third in global peanut exports. However, Argentine peanut production faces a severe threat from a fungal disease, peanut smut, caused by Thecaphora frezzii. This disease is particularly prevalent in the Córdoba Province, where recent surveys have documented a gradual increase in the prevalence and incidence of peanut smut, becoming a significant challenge to peanut production. First identified in Brazil in the 1960s in wild peanut and later in Argentina in 1995 in commercial peanut fields, the disease has rapidly spread owing to its distinctive pathogen characteristics, including the lack of visible symptoms on aerial plant parts, spore spread, and survival, and with a lack of proactive efforts to develop and apply management strategies. This results in the gradual accumulation of teliospores of T. frezzii in soil, further exacerbating the problem in subsequent growing seasons by increasing the intensity of the disease and driving a reduction in crop yield and quality. This review summarizes recent research on peanut smut, focusing on disease assessment, molecular characterization, diagnosis and detection, epidemiology, host range and environmental conditions, and the latest advancements in management approaches, including fungicide spraying, breeding programs, cultural management, and biological control, aimed to enhance understanding and support effective disease management strategies in peanut production systems.