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DETECTION OF ALTERNARIA PADWICKII (GANGULY) M.B. ELLIS, THE CAUSE OF STACKBURN DISEASES OF RICE

S.A. JAMIL KHAN, M. JALALUDDIN* AND A. GHAFFAR*

Abstract: Alternaria padwickii (Ganguly) M.B. Ellis (Syn., Trichoconis padwickii Ganguly) is an important seed-borne fungus which causes stackbum disease of rice (Noble & Richardson, 1968). The fungus occurs widely in the rice-growing countries of the world (Ou, 1985; Khair et al., 1988; Rodriguez et al., 1988; Shetty & Shetty, 1992). A. padwickii has also been found widely distributed as a common seed-borne fungus in different rice cultivars in Pakistan (Kamal & Moghal, 1968; Khan et al., 1974). Using blotter and agar plate methods, it has been usually difficult to detect and isolate T. padwickii in pure culture due to the growth of other seedbome fungi such as Pyricularia oryzae, Drechslera oryzae and species of Curvularia, Drechslera and Fusarium on rice seeds (Neergaard, 1977; Khan et al., 1988). A comparative study of various methods was therefore, carried out to find more suitable method by which A. padwickii could be detected and isolated in pure culture from rice seeds.

Crop Diseases Research Institute, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Karachi University Campus, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi- 75270, Pakistan.