SEED PATHOGENS INCIDENCE IN EIGHT MAIZE HYBRIDS (Zea mays L.) CULTIVATED IN TRANSYLVANIAN PLAIN

Maize is one of the most cultivated cereals worldwide and in Romania. Phytosanitary condition of maize seeds can affect the quantity and quality of the yield, while infected or contaminated grains pose a concern for human and animal health. Most industries have threshold standards and quality specifications of maize gains, due to safety reasons. Aim of this study was to screen seeds from maize crops growing in Transylvanian Plain, for germination and fungal infection incidence. Eight hybrids from several breeders: ARDS Turda (Turda 200, Turda 201, Turda Favorit), Dekalb (DKC 3939), Pioneer (P9357, P9241), Caussade (Basmati CS, Portile CS) are among the most cultivated by Romanian farmers in local conditions, and for this reason were tested by blotter paper method for seed mycosis susceptibility. Thirty seeds in three replicates were placed for germination for each variant. Determinations were conducted after four days of incubation. Results indicated that average germination rate was 95.62% and average infection of maize seeds was 27.81%. Microscopic analysis revealed that on average Cladosporium sp. accounted for 21.41% infected seeds, Fusarium sp. for 5.75% and Penicillium sp. for 7.43%. Because control of the fungal disease through agronomic and chemical approaches can increase the production cost or can range in effectiveness, achieving genetic resistance seems the most promising approach and more efforts shall be directed towards this aspect.