Fungal colonization of seeds of three lupine species in different regions of Poland

Abstract

The health status of seeds of three lupine species (white lupine, narrow-leaved lupine, and yellow lupine) from different regions of Poland was investigated. Seeds were analyzed by microscopic method and PCR. The examined lupine seeds were colonized by saprotrophic fungi of the genera Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Penicillium, and pathogenic fungi of the genera Fusarium, Botrytis, Mycosphaerella, and Colletotrichum. The relative frequency (RF) of fungi detected on lupine seeds from the regions of Kujawy, Wielkopolska, Lower Silesia, and Warmia and Mazury was determined. The highest RF values of pathogenic fungi were noted in Lower Silesia in 2012 and 2013, and in Warmia and Mazury in 2011. The RF values of pathogenic and saprotrophic fungi on lupine seeds harvested in different regions of Poland were affected by weather conditions. PCR analyses revealed the presence of Tri genes in the seeds of narrow-leaved lupine. The analyzed seeds were relatively free of pathogenic fungi and could be used for sowing and feed production.