SEED HEALTH STUDY OF SELECTED SEED SPICES AND CULINARY HERBS OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was carried out to evaluate the seed health and quality status of selected seed spices and culinary herbs viz. coriander, cumin, dill, black cumin, fennel and fenugreek during July 2019 to December 2020 at Seed Health Laboratory of Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Seeds of 15 varieties were collected from local market and Spice Research Centre, BARI, Bogura. Seed health study was conducted by following the rules of International Seed Testing Association (1999). In inspection of dry seed method, pathogenic structures, fruiting body and physical abnormalities viz. deformed, shrinkage, swelling, spotted and undersized seeds were recorded. It was exposed that seeds of selected spices and culinary herbs yielded six fungal species in blotter method. Through blotter plate method, the incidence and frequency of identified pathogen has been recorded. The identified fungi were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Alternaria spp., Chaetomium sp. and Rhizopus sp. Percent pathogen incidence of identified fungi and unidentified pathogen were also recorded. The highest percentage of seed borne pathogen infection was found in the local seeds; 68.2% in coriander, 43.65% in cumin, 71.9% in dill, 47.5% in black cumin, 56% in fennel and 54.5% in fenugreek seeds. Most of the seed-borne pathogens reduced the germination and produced diseased seedlings in blotter method. Considering the frequency and occurrence of seed borne pathogen, 54% pathogenic infection was recorded in three varieties of coriander. However, in cumin 81.88% seed borne pathogenic infection was found in two varieties. Moreover, in dill, black cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds, seed borne pathogenic infection were 49.5%, 71,88%, 63.75%, 61.5% respectively.