Presence of some important fungus species on wheat seed

Wheat seed is a good media for development numerous saprophitic and parasite fungi (Snijders 1990, Ćosić 1997, Popović 1999). In most of the cases wheat seed is infected or contaminated at open field during growing season, but less often while it is stored in a warehouse. Diseased seed have a lower germination energy, ability of germination, or does not germinate. Of considerable importance is the fact that such seed will be a source of inoculum for following vegetation. That is why seed-processing and fungicide treatment before sowing are very important although total micopopulation cannot be eliminated by the treatment (Cunfer 1976, Mesterhazy 1996). To determine micopopulation of treated seed of eight cultivars, 1297 seed smaples colected over six years were examined by using deep- freezing method (ISTA method) and isolations on the standard PDA media. In more than 93.06% of all inspected samples at least one seed was infected or contaminated by one of fungi species. The prevalence seedborne parasitic fungi on wheat seed was from Fusarium genera: F. graminearum Schw., F. moniliforme Sheld., F. avenaceum (Fr.) Sacc, F. subglutinans (Wollenw. & Reink.) Nelson, Toussoun & Marasas, Fusarium spp. and Microdochium nivale (Fries) Samuels & Hallett. In the group of weak parasite species and saprophites the most dominant was Alternaria tenuis C.G. Nees. Other fungi species, Cladosporium herbarum (Pers.) Link ex S.F. Gray, Trichothecium roseum Link, Epicoccum purpurascens Ehreub. ex Schlecht, Penicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., and Rhizopus spp. were established on a smaller number of samples with a relative low rate of infection.