Effect of Microwave radiations on the germination of pea seeds and their associated fungi.

Abstract

This study aimed at the possibility of using X-rays in the control of fungi. Treatments of healthy and infected seeds of peas with microwave radiation resulted in a decrease in the frequency of fungi in the tested seeds, and increasing the time of treatment leads to a significant reduction in its number with a complete elimination of  Alternarai iso1 fungi isolated from the seeds when exposed to microwave radiations for 120 seconds. The radiations did not have any impact on Fusarium sp iso3. However, Exposing infected seeds to this radiation for 60 seconds was enough to eliminate Rhizoctoinia and Sclerotinia, and for 90 seconds to eliminate Botrytis sp fungi for all tested seeds. On the other hand, microwave radiations had an effect on germination ratio of pea seeds, This effect increases by increasing the treatment time. The decrease of this effect was high at exposure times ranging from 120-180 seconds.