SEED-BORNE INFECTION OF ELEUSINE-CORACANA BY BIPOLARIS-NODULOSA AND PYRICULARIA-GRISEA IN UGANDA AND KENYA

Seed samples of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) collected from Ugand a and Kenya had mixed infections with Bipolaris nodulosa (449%) and Py ricularia grisea (7-55%). Most samples showed poor germination and wer e unfit for sowing because of a high percentage of seedborne infection . We obtained similar seed infection counts with the standard blotter, deep-freezing blotter, and agar plate methods, which suggests that an y of these methods could be used for routine seed health testing. Howe ver, sporulation was better on frozen seeds. Gray or black discolored seeds had higher levels of infection by P. grisea than apparently heal thy, normal reddish brown seeds. Plating of seed components showed tha t both fungi were present in the pericarp and endosperm but not in the embryo. Seed transmission tests demonstrated the ability of these fun gi to kill young seedlings.