Manifestation of a complex of Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. species on seeds and seedlings of cereals, legumes, oilseeds and cereals

Goal. To establish the peculiarities of infection of seeds and seedlings of cereals, legumes, oilseeds and cereals by a complex of FSSC species, to determine the factors influencing the spread of the pathogen. Methods. Laboratory methods: germination of crop seeds in different soil samples and study of seedling development; identification of fungal species that formed mycelium layers during seed germination; analysis of soil mycobiota; determination of drug efficacy. Results. In 2023—2024, the seeds of winter wheat, spring barley, winter rye, corn, sunflower, soybeans, beans, peas, millet, and buckwheat were studied for FSSC infection during germination in soil. Seeds were germinated in soils from different regions of Ukraine. The main symptoms of infection with the fungi of the F. solani species complex were studied. FSSC were isolated into pure culture to study their cultural and morphological characteristics. In order to find control of these phytopathogens, the factors influencing their spread were investigated: soil samples, precursor, crop genotype, seed treatment, and the use of various types of explosives. Conclusions. FSSCs cause the formation of fluffy white-pink mycelium layers and are often the reason why seeds do not germinate in the soil and necrosis forms on the seedlings. Differences in the color of colonies and sporulation structure were found when fungi were isolated from ungerminated seeds of different crops. The number of FSSC species was significantly influenced by the soil sample, precursor, crop genotype, seed treatment, and the effects of various weapons. The largest number of fungi was found during germination of rye seeds in sandy loam soil of Kyiv region, which explained the lowest germination rate of seeds in the compared soil samples. The study of soybean seed germination in soils from Poltava region revealed the best predecessor for this crop — corn, which proved to be the most resistant to the development of the F. solani species complex. It was shown that the bean variety Nautica was almost five times more resistant to FSSC than T9905. The efficiency of using a mixture of preparations (Merivon® Pro, KS; 0.3—0.4 l/t; Ekovital and Vitazim; 1 l/t) against Fusarium bacterial infection of soybean seeds was 46.3%. The consequences of the use of explosive weapons led to quantitative and qualitative changes in the mycobiota of the studied samples of chernozems from Sumy and Kharkiv regions.