Seed mycoflora of some vegetables in Kerala

Abstract

The survey of the seed mycoflora of vegetable seeds revealed the presence of a number of seed-borne fungi. Storage fungi like Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus stolonifer were found to be externally as well as internally seed-borne , in almost all the vegetable seeds taken for the study. A part from these , other fungi like Curvularia lunsta. Fusarium equlecti and Myrothecium roridum from amaranthus , Botryodiplodia theobrease from bhindi, bitter gourd and cowpea, Fusarium oxysporum and Eectria haemtococca from bhindi, Achaetonium macrosporum and Collstrotrichum lagenarium from bitter gourd, Drechalera rostrata from cowpea, Cephaliophora irregularis and Fusarium solani from pumkin were obtained. The seed-borne fungi were found to cause inhibitory effect on the germination of the seeds , from which they were isolated , Maximum inhibition in the germination was found to be caused by storage fungi like Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger. Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus stolonifer . Rotting of the seedlings was caused by Fusarium equiseti on amaranthus, Prechslera rostrata on cowpea . Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer on tomato.