​The main tasks of the Cereal Diseases Department are to diagnose the fungal diseases that cause damage to cereals using morphological, biological and molecular methods, to determine their prevalence and damage levels, to reveal their biology, epidemiology and management methods. 

Projects supported by TUBITAK, Private Sector and TAGEM are carried out in this Department. These are;

• The races and genetic variation of Pyricularia oryzae (Rice Blast Disease) which is the main disease of rice plant, and reaction of some rice varieties against the disease of this fungus,
• Detection of Rust Diseases (Puccinia spp.) in Oat Fields, some oat genotypes determine the resistant of reaction against races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae (Black Rust),
• Investigating the possibilities of reducing the amount of toxin formed as a result of Wheat Head Blight (Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum) by chemical control,
• Studies on the standard pesticide trial method as a basis for the investigation and control of the biological efficacy of Acibenzolar S-methyl (ASM) against stalk and ear rot disease (Fusarium verticilloides) in maize,
• Coordination of the National Wheat Root Rot Diseases Project,
• Determination of the Reactions of the Genotypes Developed in the Marmara Region Corn Breeding Studies against causes Stalk and Ear Rot Disease (Fusarium moniliforme),
• Studies on the standard pesticide trial method as a basis for the investigation and control of the biological effectiveness of Afla Guard' (Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882) against Aspergillus parasiticus in maize,
• Diagnosis and prevalence of wheat bunt (Tilletia spp.) are being studied in this Department. 

Some projects worked in the Department:

• Control methods of diseases caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis, Zymoseptoria tritici, Rhynchosporium secalis, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium species and detection of diseases seen in turf fields in Türkiye, their prevalence and control methods,
• Detection of resistance against Azole and Strobilurin group fungicides in some populations of Zymoseptoria tritici,
• Studies on Pathogenic Morphological Characterization and Molecular Identification of Northern (Exserohilum turcicum (Pass)) and Southern (Bipolaris maydis (Nisk.&M'yale) leaf blight diseases in corn, 

In addition, diseases subject to internal and external quarantine and the analysis of samples coming from the Provincial/District Directorates of Agriculture are carried out by subject experts in the Cereal Diseases Laboratory.​

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