Pathogenic fungi and bacterium intercepted in introduced germplasm during 2004*

Abstract

Quarantine processing of 78 640 samples ofexotic planting material (germplasm 14242 and trial material 64 398) during the year 2004 resulted in the interception of a number of economically important fungal pathogens,viz Peronospora lnanshurica (Naumov) Syd. ex Gaum. the downy mildew of soybean, not known to occur in India ; Puccinia earthami C.orda, rust of safflower which has physiological races; those having wide host range: Colletotrichum dematium (Pers. ex Fr.) Grove, C. gloeosporioides Penz., Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc., Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid., Drechslera sorokiniana (Sacc.) Subram. & Jain; species of AlternariaAlternaria brassicicola (Schw.) Wilts.,.A. sesami (Kawamura) Mohanty & Behera and A.padwickii (Ganguly) M. B. Ellis as well as a bacterium Xanthomonas camp~stris pv campestris (Pammel) .Dowson, the black rot of crucifers. Economic significance of pathogens intercepted is discussed and the need to conduct a thorough and critical seed health testing during quarantine processing is emphasized.