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Pak. J. Bot., 44(2): 807-812, 2012.

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MAIZE SEED STORAGE MYCOFLORA IN PAKISTAN AND ITS CHEMICAL CONTROL

MUHAMMAD JAVED SALEEM^1*, RUKHSANA BAJWA¹, ABDUL HANNAN² AND TANVEER A. QAISER³ 

Abstract: Eleven seed-borne fungal species were recorded in the 18 maize seed samples collected from 6 maize growing districts of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and Fusarium moniliforme were the most prevalent species with the incidence range up to 94, 62 & 43%, respectively. Maximum number of fungal species i.e., 10 was observed from Okara, Sahiwal and Nowshehra, 9 from Mansehra, whereas 8 were recorded from Mardan and Pakpattan samples. A comparative study was designed to evaluate eight fungicides to control maize seed mycoflora at the rate of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 g kg^-1. Benlate followed by Thiophanate Methyl and Thiram provided the maximum fungal control at the dose of 3 and 3.5 g kg^-1. Maximum germination percentage was attained in case of seed dressing with Benlate followed by Thiram and Thiophanate methyl at the rate of 3g kg^-1, which revealed Benlate to be a broad spectrum seed dressing fungicide with no adverse effect on germination.

¹Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
²Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
³Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
^*Corresponding author: javedsaleem2004@yahoo.com