Association of Seed-Borne Mycoflora in Wheat Seeds Collected from Different Districts of Balochistan

Wheat is the main staple food worldwide and in Pakistan and the country's most important strategic agricultural commodity. In addition to being a major source of starch and energy, wheat also provides substantial amounts of a number of components, which are essential or beneficial for health, notably protein, vitamins (notably B vitamins), dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. This research was conducted to find out the seed-borne fungal diseases of wheat at Balochistan therefore seed samples were collected from the local market of different districts of Balochistan via, (Quetta, Noshki, and Mastung). Seed samples were brought to the Plant Pathology Laboratory of Balochistan Agriculture College Quetta, for the isolation and morphological identification of the pathogen, the isolation was carried out through blotter paper method and agar method different seed-borne pathogens were isolated from infected seeds and pathogens were identified morphologically and through microscopic studies. It was revealed that among those pathogens; Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria solani, causing seed-borne fungal diseases were found prominent in all the varieties of seed collected from all districts however among all the isolated fungal seed borne mycoflora of wheat Aspergillus niger was most frequently in all wheat seed varieties and found up to (16.0%) in a wheat seed variety (White Local) followed by Aspergillus flavus, A. solani and F. oxysporum respectively. It was concluded from the present research that all seeds of wheat varieties tested in the research were contaminated by seed borne fungal pathogens.