Abstract
Wheat production is limited by a certain number of abiotic and biotic factors, Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium crown rot (FCR) both are diseases of cereals caused by phytopathogenic fungi of the Fusarium species, one of the most important mycotoxigenic fungal genera in food and feed. Wheat seeds can be asymptomatically infected and reinfect an emerging seedling. This study investigates the pathogenic potential of an endophytic fungal isolated from healthy wheat seeds (Triticum durum) belonging to Fusarium genus. Wheat seed inoculation and coleoptile infection assays were performed to assess pathogenicity. Additionally, the influence of environmental growth conditions (temperature and water activity) on the pathogenic period of this endophyte was evaluated in vitro. Infection symptoms assessed 7-10 days post-inoculation confirmed the pathogenicity of the fungus. In the wheat seed inoculation test, 90.72±8.67% of seedlings were infected, while 63.33±10.5% were infected in the coleoptile infection test. No significant difference (p=0.076) was observed in germination percentages between inoculated and control seeds. The Fusarium strain exhibited optimal growth at 25 °C and 0.995 aw, indicating the highest pathogenic potential under environmental conditions. These findings suggest that the seed control antifungal treatment and understanding the factors influencing latent pathogenic period are crucial for developing effective management strategies against Fusarium diseases in wheat.
Presenters
Fatma Zohta FzchebaaniPhd Student, Sciences of Nature and Life, Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Batna, Algeria
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Fusarium, Endophytic fungi, Wheat seeds, Triticum durum, Pathogenicity
