ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION OF IMPORTANT SEED-BORNE FUNGAL DISEASES IN SOME CEREAL CROPS

Abstract

The Aims of this study were to: The first aim of the present study was to develop seed health methods that would allow reliable and reasonably fast detection of seed-borne fungal diseases such as Pyricularia oryzea in rice, Ustila.go tritici in wheat and Cephalosporium maydis in maize. Many detection methods occur for different seed-borne pathogens, but, few of the minimum requirements for adequate seed tests were satisfied. Preferably, seed health methods should be sensitive, specific, rapid, robust, inexpensive and simple to implement and interpret, in order to fit plant quarantine Some standard seed health procedures were applied for seed-borne fungi detection from the three seed crops. Washing test, Blotter method, Washing after Incubation (modified), Deep Freezing method and Potato Dextrose Agar method (PDA) were used in case of rice seed samples. Embryo Count method and Field experiment were carried out for loose smut detection. Blotter mehtod, Deep Freezing mehtod and Potato Dextrose Yeast Agar method were implimented in inspecting whole seeds and broken one of maize seed samples. Side by side, PCR detection and identification of the previously seed-borne pathogen was comparabley applied to face the disadvantages of the common tests. Nano-metalic particles were involved in to enhance of DNA and focused to compare between some traditional detection methods and advanced PCR-based techniques for detection of seed-borne pathogens in the three major food crops; wheat, rice and maize.