Seed-borne fungi on cruciferous cultivated plants in Finland and their importance in seedling raising

Abstract

The seed-borne fungi of cabbage, swede, turnip, rape, turnip rape, radish and black radish and their importance in seedling raising have been examined in this study. The seed lots used in the study were on sale at seed merchants in Finland during the period 1968 —1976. Alternaria brassicicola (Schw.) Wiltshire was the most common pathogen, being more common on cabbage than on any of the other plant species. 91 % of the white cabbage and red cabbage seed lots were infected. The mean A. brassicicola contents of the infected seed lots were 29.5 % and 30.6 %. Plenodomus lingam (Tode ex Fr.) Höhnel occurred in 10 % of the white cabbage and 27 % of the red cabbage seed lots, the fungus content varying from 0.5 % to 14 %. The fungus was also found on cauliflower, swede and radish. Alternaria brassicae (Berk.) Sacc. was found in 4 % of the cabbage and in 31 % of the rape seed lots at fungus contents of 0.5—6.5 %. Alternaria raphani Groves & Skolko was found in 30 % of the radish and black radish seed lots at fungus contents of 0.5—8 %. The following fungi were also found on the seeds of Cruciferous plants: Pleospora herbarum (Pers.) Rabenh., Whetzelinia sclerotiorum (Lib) Korf & Dumont, Botrytis cinerea Pers., Ulocladium concortiale (Thum.) Simmons, Fusarium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani Kühn as well as 18 fungus genera and species either saprophytic or pathogenic to other plants. When the Alternaria brassicicola content of the seeds was 20 % it caused 10 % damping-off damage on the sand substrate. A similar level of damage occurred on the peat substrate when the fungus content reached 70 %. In addition to causing damping off and damaging the seedlings, the fungus also slowed-down seedling growth without apparently damaging them. When the seedlings were grown at a lower temperature the amount of damage caused by A. brassicicola was much less than that which occurred when a higher temperature was used. Plenodomus lingam caused as much damping-off as there were seeds infected with the fungi. Other seed-borne fungi had no importance in seedling raising. Sphagnum fuscum peat, which is used in Finland as a growth substrate, reduced the amount of damping-off caused by seed-borne fungi in comparison to disinfected substrates and prevented the spread of A. brassicicola and P. lingam from diseased to healthy seeds. Dressing the seeds with thiram proved to be very effective against A. brassicicola.