Rice Seedborne Fungi and Their Effect on Seed Germination. E. D. Imolehin, Principal Research Officer, Plant Pathology Section, Rice Research Programme, National Cereals Research Institute, Private Mail Bag 5042, Ibadan, Nigeria. Plant Dis. 67:1334-1336. Accepted for publication 1 June 1983. Copyright 1983 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-67-1334.

Seeds from nine upland and seven lowland cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were examined for qualitative and quantitative estimates of seedborne fungi. The observed fungi were Helminthosporium oryzae, Fusarium moniliforme, Penicillium sp., Curvularia lunata, Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus arrhizus, Geotrichum sp., and Alternaria sp. High negative significant correlation was obtained between seed infestation by all isolated microflora and seed germination in the laboratory for all cultivars tested (r = –0.79), upland cultivars (r = –0.84), and lowland cultivars (r = –0.74).