Seed-borne Fungi Associated with Sesame Seeds Cultivated in Chad Republic

Sesame (<i>Sesamum</i><i> </i><i>indicum</i> L.) is an important oil seed crop in Chad, but its productivity is constrained by seed-borne fungal pathogens affecting seed quality, germination, and seedling establishment. This study examined the different seed-borne fungi associated with sesame varieties using two International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)-recommended methods: the blotter paper method and agar plate method. The results show that 22 fungal species were identified, with notable differences between the two methods. The blotter paper method detected 13 species, while the agar plate method revealed 22 species, with 3 375 isolates detected using the agar plate method compared to 1 070 isolates on blotter paper method. Using the blotter paper method, <i>Alternaria</i><i> </i><i>sesami</i> (13.28%), <i>A. </i><i>brassicicola</i> (12.51%) and <i>Macrophomina</i><i> </i><i>phaseolina</i> (10.69%) were the most frequent species and <i>Bipolaris</i><i> </i><i>spicifera</i> (3.86%) and <i>Nigrospora</i><i> </i><i>sphaerica</i> (4.02%) were the least frequent. With the agar plate method, the most frequent species were <i>A. </i><i>sesami</i> (16.92%), <i>Aspergillus </i><i>niger</i> (12.57%) and <i>Cercospora</i><i> </i><i>sesami</i> (12.5%). <i>Pestalotia</i><i> </i><i>guepini</i> and <i>Verticillium</i><i> </i><i>dahliae</i> were the least frequent species, with respective frequencies of 0.41 and 0.61%. These results revealed a wide diversity of seed-borne fungi of sesame, highlighting the need to develop effective strategies to control these seed-borne fungi.