Seed Borne Mycoflora of Some Commercial Wheat (triticum Aestivum L.) Cultivars in Punjab, Pakistan

Seed borne mycoflora associated with ten commercial varieties of wheat viz. Blue silver, Faisalabad 85, Manthar-3, Pak 81, Parwaz 94, Pirsabaq 2005, Punjnad-1, Sariab-92, Sh-2002 and Wafaq-2001 was investigated through standard blotter paper and agar plate method by using Mann-Whitney U test. At least eleven fungal genera were recovered from seeds. The most frequently isolated fungi were Bipolaris sorokiniana (11.125%), Aspergillus flavus (9.825%), Alternaria alternata (7.15%) and Aspergillus niger (6.225%). It is apparent from the present investigation that all commercial wheat varieties tested were contaminated by fungi. The rolled paper method was used to find out the effect of seed borne fungi on seed germination. Seeds of Pak 81, Wafaq-2001 and Blue silver were germinated in high proportion with variable number of normal and abnormal seedlings than the seeds of other varieties tested. The fungi associated with seeds of wheat cause dire diseases in wheat reducing the germination capacity.