Routine and specific techniques were carried out to detect seed-borne
microflora of five trees grown in Egypt i.e., Acacia mangium, Araucaria angustifolia,
Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Ficus bengalensis. Seeds
were collected from a number of trees grown in commercial nurseries. The blotter test
was the most acceptable method for the detection of seed-borne fungi. Eight fungal
genera i.e., Botryodiplodia, Botrytis, Cephalosporium, Colletotrichum, Curvularia,
Fusarium, Macrophomina, and Phoma along with two genera of bacteria viz.,
Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas were detected. Botryodiplodia theobromae,
Fusarium moniliforme and F. oxysporum were the most prevalent fungi isolated. They
caused seed rot, seedling diseases, seedling mortalities, wilt, growth suppression,
and stem deformation. Pseudomonas sp. and Xanthomonas sp. were also common
causing various seedling diseases including dieback. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides,
Fusarium moniliforme, F. oxysporum and Phoma spp might be seed transmitted as
they were isolated from embryos, on the other hand, Botrytis spp, Cephalosporium
spp, Curvularia tuberculata, Macrophomina phaseolina were found in seed coat.
Trichoderma spp when mixed with fertilizers improved seedling growth and minimizing
the incidence of seed-borne diseases.