Table 3.
Pathogenicity of 15 seed-borne fungus species isolated *.
| Fungus | Pre-Emergence Damping Off ** (%) |
Post-Emergence Damping Off ** (%) |
Survival ** (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control (fungus-free) | 1.0 e | 0.0 d | 99.0 a |
| Alternaria alternata | 2.5 e | 0.0 d | 97.5 ab |
| Bipolaris austrostipae | 7.5 c–e | 7.5 a–d | 75.0 c–f |
| B. cynodontis | 25.0 a | 12.5 ab | 62.5 f |
| B. sorokiniana | 12.5 b–e | 2.5 cd | 85.0 a–e |
| B. tetramera | 17.5 a–c | 5.0 b–d | 77.5 c–f |
| Cladosporium anthropophilum | 15.0 a–d | 2.5 cd | 82.5 b–e |
| Curvularia mebaldsii | 15.0 a–d | 0.0 d | 85.0 a–e |
| Exerohilum rostratum | 15.0 a–d | 0.0 d | 85.0 a–e |
| Fusarium chlamydosporum | 17.5 a–c | 10.0 a–c | 72.5 d–f |
| F. equiseti | 20.0 ab | 10.0 a–c | 70.0 ef |
| F. fujikuroi | 12.5 b–e | 5.0 b–d | 82.5 b–e |
| F. oxysporum | 2.5 e | 0.0 d | 97.5 ab |
| F. proliferatum | 22.5 ab | 15.0 a | 65.0 f |
| F. verticillioides | 5.0 de | 5.0 b–d | 90.0 a–c |
| Stemphylium globuliferum | 7.5 c–e | 5.0 b–d | 87.5 a–d |
* The seed-borne fungi isolated were tested for their pathogenicity using a soil infestation technique with fungus growing on sterilized sorghum–sand medium (1:1) at 10% moisture for 15 d at 26 ± 2 °C. Pots (25 cm-diameter) filled with sterilized soil were individually infested with the fungal inocula at 0.3%, mixed thoroughly, and watered with tap water and kept moistened for one week before planting. In each pot, 10 surface-sterilized wheat grains were sown. For each fungus, 10 pots (replicates) were used. All pots were arranged in a completely randomized way and kept for two months in a greenhouse. The pots were observed daily for grain germination, and the disease incidence was recorded. Each value is the mean of 10 replicates (pots), values within a column followed by the same letter(s) are not significantly different according to Duncan’s multiple range test (p ≤ 0.05). ** Pre-emergence damping off = seed/seedling death before emergence; Post-emergence damping off = seedling death after emergence; survival = living plants two months after planting.