Seed-borne Mycoflora associated with Stored Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Seeds and their Pathogenic Potential

Seed-borne Mycoflora associated with Stored Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Seeds and their Pathogenic Potential

Six fungal genera viz., Alternaria, Rhizoctonia, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Curvularia and Rhizopus were found associated with seeds of two popular Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) varieties stored for different periods. Per cent incidence of different fungi varied with duration of storage period and detection methods used. The incidence of A. brassicae was highest (48%) followed by A. brassicicola (20.3%) and Rhizoctonia bataticola (18.3). The seed germination percentage and vigor index decreased with increasing the storage period. Germination of seeds ranged from 55 to 95% in respect of variety and storage period. The highest vigor index in both the varieties was recorded in seeds stored for 6 months. Modified PDA method was found efficient in detecting the seed-borne incidence (13.2%) followed by standard blotter (11.1%) and deepfreezing blotter method (6.9%).