Abstract

Sorghum is a vital crop, especially in drier tropical regions, where it supplies the daily caloric needs for people. However, the productivity and profitablity of crop are hampered by several biotic stresses, including grain mold. Grain mold disease complex is associated with several fungal genera, including those that are mycotoxigenic. The aim of this research was to compare grain mold severity, 100-seed weight, germination rate, and mycoflora of seeds collected from non-commercial and commercial sorghum fields in Burleson County, Texas, Grain mold severity was based on a scale of 1-5, germination rate was based on the percentage of 100-seeds per replicate, and identification of the fungal species under microscope was based on the conidia, conidiophores, colony morphology, and color. Overall, seeds collected from commercial fields exhibited lower grain mold severity and higher seed weight, while seeds from non-commercial fields had higher percent germination rates. The mycoflora analysis of seeds obtained from both non-commercial and commercial fields revealed the occurrence of many microorganisms, as: Alternaria alternata, Bipolaris spp., Curvularia lunata, Aspergillus niger, Colletotrichum sublineola, and other unidentified fungal species and bacterial strains. All identified microorganisms except for A. niger were detected in samples from non-commercial and commercial fields; A. niger (1%) was only recovered from non-commercial fields., In conclusion, lower grain mold infection and higher seed weight were observed in commercial fields when compared to non-commercial or research plots, while percent seed germination rate was higher in non-commercial fields.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.