SEED

BORNE
DISEASES
OBJECTIVES
 Understand what is seed-borne disease and its threat to
crop production
 Familiarize with seed-borne disease caused by bacteria,
fungi and virus
 Acquire knowledge on seed-borne disease management
DIMENSION OF SEED QUALITY

SEED HYBRIDITY
QUALITY
GERMINATION

PHYSICAL QUALITY

SEED HEALTH
Seed- Health Testing

• “Seed-Health Testing” is a science

and technology which is used in
screening seed lots for ‘planting
value’ at seed testing stations and in
plant quarantine laboratories, where
seeds are tested for the presence or
absence of seed-borne
pathogens that are dangerous to
countries or regions (Mathur, 1995).
Seed-borne disease

 refer to the disease in

plants that is
transmitted by seeds

 any seedling or plant

disease caused by
infectious agent associated
with the seed (Vanla
Dittapongpitch)
Seed-borne pathogen
• Any infectious agent which is associated with the
seed and has the potential of causing a seed-borne
disease in seedling or plant.

• They can be
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Virus
• Nematodes
• Pytoplasma
Where is the pathogen in the seed?
The pathogen can infect the
following parts of a seed
• Embryo – undeveloped
plant
inside the seed

• Endosperm- the nutritive

tissue within the seeds
of flowering plant

• Seed coat – (testa) outer

protective covering of
the seed

• Pericarp- part of fruit

enclosing the seeds that
develops from the ovary wall
Seed-borne pathogen in Pepper seeds
Seed-borne pathogen in Tomato seeds
Seed infection vs Seed infestation
Infection Infestation
establishment of a pathogen the passive association of a
within any part of a seed and pathogen with seeds
may occur systematically
through some plant parts
Pathogens mode of entry
Transmission from
outside environment
• stigma
• ovary wall or
pericarp
• flower or fruit stalk
• through seed coat
Directly from the mother plant
• flower or fruit stalk
• seed stalk (funiculus)
• seed surface
(integuments)
• Natural openings
SEED-BORNE
BACTERIA
Seed-borne bacteria
• Most of the bacteria are commonly carried on the
surface of the seed and may keep alive for a limited
period of time only, 1-2 years.

• Bacteria causing vascular or systemic infections that

are frequently found within the seed coat or other
tissues of the seed may show longer viability
Seed-borne bacteria

Disease: Black Rot

Pathogen: Xanthomonas campestris pv.
campestris (Xcc)
Crop/s: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
mustard and radish
Seed-borne bacteria

Disease: Bacterial spot

Pathogen: Xanthomonas campestris pv.
vesicatoria (Xcv)
Crop/s: Tomato and Pepper
Seed-borne bacteria
Disease: Bacterial fruit blotch
Pathogen: Acidovorax avenae subsp.citrulli (Aac).
Crop/s: Watermelon
SEED-BORNE
FUNGI
Seed-borne fungi
• All fungal types contaminating the surface of
the seeds or infecting the seed tissues
• Most of the seed –transmitted pathogens are
fungi
Seed-borne fungi
Disease: Anthracnose
Pathogen: Colletotrichum sp.
Crop/s: Pepper, Cucurbits and Bean
Seed-borne fungi
Disease: Gummy Stem Blight
Pathogen: Didymella bryoniae / Phoma cucurbitacearum
Crop/s: Cucurbits
Seed-borne fungi
Disease: Phomopsis blight
Pathogen: Phomopsis vexans
Crop: Eggplant
Seed-borne fungi
Disease: Anthracnose
Pathogen: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Crop: Onion

Common symptoms in onion plants caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. a

whitish lesion with orange dot-like masses at center. b orange masses arranged in
concentric rings. c typical anthracnose symptom
Seed-borne fungi
Disease: Black leg
Pathogen: Phoma lingam
Crops: Brassicas and Crucifers

Symptoms of the pathogen start as slight lesions on stems at cotyledon scars

which elongate, turn brown with a black to purplish border, and become sunken.
The lesion extends up and down the stem, the stem becomes girdled and
blackened, with many fruiting bodies (pycnidia) embedded in the tissue. Lesions
may extend below the soil and attack roots.
SEED-BORNE
VIRUS
Seed-borne Virus
• infectious minute agents which are
obligate intracellular parasites
• capable of growth and multiplication only
in living cells that cause various important
diseases in humans, animals and plants
Seed-borne virus
Disease: Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV)
Pathogen: Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV)
Crops: Cucurbits
Seed-borne virus
Disease: Tobacco and Tomato Mosaic Virus
Pathogen: Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
Crop: Tomato and Pepper
Threats of Seed-borne diseases
 cause decline or loss of seed quality
• seed discoloration
• seed abortion
• seed rot
• shrunken seeds
• Low germination
 disease spread from one place to another
 plant pathogens restrict trade (import and
export of seeds)
Threats of Seed-borne diseases

 high cost of pesticides for disease

suppression
 food production losses- greatly affect the
performance and subsequent yield of the
plant
 pathogen continually evolve and develop
resistance to chemicals
 Seed-borne disease management

ERADICATION/PREVENTION
Physical control – heat treatments
Chemical control:
• Fungicide (Captan, Thiram)
• Disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite,
hydrogen peroxide)
 Seed-borne disease management

AVOIDANCE/EXCLUSION
Use clean/disease free seeds.
Always maintain a healthy crop.
Be familiar with the seed-borne diseases in
the field.
Maintain good field sanitation
 SYMPTOMS &
PROBLEM HOST MANAGEMENT
SIGN
Black Rot Broccoli, • v-shaped lesions from • Crop rotation with non-
cabbage, the leaf margin crucifers
cauliflower, • Internal blackening to • Avoid overhead
mustard and complete head rot sprinklers
radish • Pruning of leaves
• Chemical control:
Copper hydroxide
(Kocide/ Funguran)
 SYMPTOMS &
PROBLEM HOST MANAGEMENT
SIGN
Bacterial Fruit Watermelon • Leaves – dark angular • Removal of infected
Blotch patches with yellow plants
halo • Chemical control:
• Fruit – dark green Copper hydroxide
blotch on the upper applied from first male
surface that flowering until fruit
eventually break the maturity with 14 days
rind interval
PROBLE
HOST SYMPTOMS & SIGN MANAGEMENT
M
Gummy Cucurbits Early symptoms: round black, Chemical control:
Stem wrinkled spots in young leaves Chlorothalonil (Daconil)
Blight and dark sunken areas on stem and Mancozeb (Dithane,
Late symptoms: splitting of old Curazeb)
stem and light brown gum
ooze later stem will die leaving
fruit exposed
 PROBLE
HOST SYMPTOMS & SIGN MANAGEMENT
M
Phomopsis Eggplant Seedling: Dark lesions just • Removal of infected
above the soil line plants
As the disease develops, • Chemical control:
lesions turn gray and the Copper fungicides
stem eventually collapse and (Kocide/ Funguran),
the plant dies. Carbendazim +
Fruit: Starts with pale sunken Tebuconazole (Tantan)
spots that will take over the
entire fruit
 SYMPTOMS &
PROBLEM HOST MANAGEMENT
SIGN
Cucumber Cucurbits Green mottling in leaves • Remove infected plants
Green Mottled and fruits • Disinfect farm materials
Mosaic Virus to prevent spread of
disease
• Control insect vectors
in the area
THANK YOU!