The frequency of occurrence of pathogenic and saprotrophic fungi in pea seeds in different regions of Poland

Abstract

Field pea seeds (cv. Tarchalska) grown in different regions of Poland (Warmia and Mazury, Wielkopolska, Kujawy) were subjected to mycological analyses. Simpson’s dominance index (DI) was used in the study to determine the abundance of each fungal species in the fungal communities isolated from seeds. PCR analyses were carried out with the use of species-specific primers for Fusarium fungi isolated from pea seeds to identify Tri genes responsible for trichothecene synthesis in the growing seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013.Saprotrophic species predominated on pea seeds cv. Tarchalska grown in various Polish regions, whereas the isolated fungal pathogens were represented by species of the genus Fusarium and Botrytis cinerea. Genes encoding the synthesis of trichothecenes, the mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi, were not identified in the PCR analysis. In the group of peas grown in three Polish regions (Warmia and Mazury, Wielkopolska, Kujawy), the highest level of fungal colonization was noted in the pea seeds harvested in Warmia and Mazury.