Effect of fungi and fungicides on the preservation of wheat seed stored with high and low moisture content

The protective effect of the fungicides captan, chloratalonil, pentachloronitrobenzene, thiram and the commercial mixture of captan and carboxin against storage fungi, as well as the possible toxic effect on seed viability were studied on seed of the Salamanca wheat variety. The research was conducted with wheat seed stored at 25 degrees C with a high and low moisture content: (a) seed stored at a high relative humidity of 85%, to allow the development of fungi and (b) seed stored under dry conditions, with seed moisture contents below 13%, The germination of wheat seed, either with high or low moisture content, was slightly inhibited by the fungicide carboxin immediately following seed treatment. It appears that the fungicide temporarily promoted a slight effect of seed dormancy; however, this effect disappeared during the storage period. The fungicides chloratalonil, captan and carboxin + captan prevented the activity of the storage fungi, and protected the germination of the wheat seed stored at 85% relative humidity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.