Seed borne mycoflora of groundnut

Using blotter, agar plate and deep freezing method as recommended by ISTA, the seed borne mycoflora of 12 groundnut seed samples collected from different localities of Pakistan was examined. Of the 14 genera and 28 species of fungi isolated, 18 fungal species viz., Absidia corymbifera (Cohn) Sacc and Trotter, Alternaria citri Ellis and Pierce apud Pierce, Aspergillus awamori Nakazawa, A. candidus Link ex Link, A. japonicus Saito, A. luchuensis Inui, A. panamensis Raper & Thom, A. penecilloides Spegazzini, A. terricola Marchal, A. terreus Thom, A. wentii Wehmer, Chaetomium globosum Kunze ex Steud., C. indicum Corda, Cladosporium oxysporum Berk. & Curt, Paecilomyces variotii Bain,Syncephalastrum racemosum Cohn ex Schrot, Trichoderma hamatum (Bonord) Bain and Tricothecium roseum (Pers) Link ex Gray do not appear to have been reported from Pakistan on groundnut seed. Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus and A. niger were found predominant. Higher number of fungi were isolated where blotter method was used as compared to agar plate and deep-freezing method. Surface sterilization of seeds reduced the incidence of A. flavus and A. niger.