Incidence of Seed-Borne Mycoflora in Wheat and Rice Germplasm

, Seed-borne diseases cause significant losses in wheat and rice yield. Hundred accessions each of wheat and rice germplasm were screened to investigate the presence of seed borne fungi associated with them using blotters method. Accessions belonging to twenty five and thirty varieties for rice and wheat respectively were obtained from gene bank, PGRP, NARC. A total of 11 fungi belonging to 10 genera viz. Penicillium sp. Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia oryzae, Mucor sp, Pyricularia oryzae, Pythium sp, Alternaria alternata, Helminthosporium oryzae, Curvularia lunata and Rhizopus sp were isolated from rice germplasm whereas from wheat germplasm twelve fungi belonging to 9 genera (Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Mucor sp., Pythium sp., Fusarium sp, Aspergillus fumigatus, Curvularia lunata, Dreshslera halodes and Cladosporium cladospores) were isolated. Infection percentage varied from 10-100 % in both seed lots. In wheat, accession no. 18903 and in rice, accessions no. 6595 and 6633 showed 100% infection.