COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SEED MYCOSIS SUSCEPTIBILITY FOR 23 WHEAT CULTIVARS (Triticum aestivum L.)

Seed microflora is recognised for the influence it can have on crop health and subsequent quantitative and qualitative parameters of the yield. Aim of this study was to determine the mycosis susceptibility of wheat seeds belonging to 23 cultivars obtained from crops that received two fertilization regimes: basic fertilization in autumn and respectively supplementary fertilization in spring in addition to the basic fertilization from autumn. Results showed that seeds from the crop that benefited from supplementary fertilization had a higher average germination rate as well as a frequency decrease in pathogenic fungi. On average the germination rate for wheat was 92.61%, Alternaria sp. incidence was 24.67% and Fusarium sp. incidence was 21.74%. Cultivars showed heterogeneity regarding frequency of seed infection, suggesting a different susceptibility of the genotypes, but overall, the results obtained for Romanian cultivars were comparable with those for the cultivars from abroad. Results suggest that nutritional status of plants plays a role and supplementary fertilization can ensure healthier seed.