ASSESSMENT OF SEED-BORNE PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGI, INSECT EMERGENCE AND PERCENTAGE GERMINABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH HARVESTED AND STORED RICE IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the incidence of seed-borne fungi, insect emergence as it affect the germinability rate of rice seed collected from the major rice growing areas of Kwara State, Nigeria, The rice seeds were collected during the dry season of 2019. Five (5) fungi species were isolated from all the rice samples. The incidence of fungi pathogens vary from one locality to another, as well as the frequency of occurrence. The pathogens isolated include Fusarium. oxysporium, Aspergillus spp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus., Cladosporium sp., Mucor sp. FARO 44 rice variety has the highest incidence of fungal pathogen(12.5×104) while local varieties Alhaji Sule and Kuddo has the lowest incidence of (0.5× 104) respectively. Penicillium sp. has the highest percentage frequency of occurrence (49.3%) while cladosporium sp has lowest (1.33%) across all samples. Sample 9(F-52), 15(E) and 17(K) has the lowest percentage germinability of 41, 40 and 45% while sample 11(AB) and 8(K) has the highest percentage germinability of 84% and 77% respectively. All the samples do not have the most serious damaging insect infestation of Sitophilus oryzae but some of the sample has infestation of some other insects such as Rhyzopertha dominca, a lesser grain borer and a primary stored pest of cereals, Tribolium. castaneum a secondary pest and some other unidentified insects in varying percentage. Measures such as lowest moisture content of seed meant for storage and proper cleaning of the store must be put in place to avoid seed deterioration as a result of seed borne fungal pathogen and insect infestation.