Effects of Priming in Combination with Fungicides on Germination and Infestation of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Two seed lots of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cv. Krlowa Majowych were primed in polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 at -1.25MPa for 7 days in dark at 20C. Two fungicide treatments combined with PEG were used to control fungi: 1) Funaben T(0.1%) and Apron 35 SD (0.02%) were added to -1.25 MPa PEG solution (PEG+F); 2) After seed priming and drying,Funaben T was mixed at 5 g kg-1 and Apron 35 SD at 1 g kg-1 of seeds (PEG then F dust). PEG, PEG+F and PEG then F dusttreatments reduced significantly thermodormancy and increased the seed germination at 35C in both lots. PEG then Fdust treatment had the best effect on reducing seed thermodormancy at 35C, and increased seed germination to 64.5% inlot 1 and 72.0% in lot 2 compared to 0 in untreated. PEG and PEG then F dust treatments have accelerated germinationspeed at 20 and 15C in both lots. There was a significant reduction in seed infestation in which the seeds were treatedwith PEG+F and PEG then F dust compared to untreated seeds and PEG primed seeds. PEG priming enhanced seedinfestation considerably by Alternaria alternata, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp. and Ulocladium spp. Mycologicalanalysis showed higher frequency of Alternaria alternata and Ulocladium spp. in untreated seeds at 20C. Priming incombination with fungicides significantly alleviated the infestation of fungi, especially Alternaria alternata infestation.