Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Fusaric acid (FA) is a phytotoxin compound produced by many Fusarium species including F. proliferatum. The virulence of F. proliferatum depends on FA production. In the present study, the effect of FA on rice seed germination and seedlings growth through F. proliferatum inoculation and FA application was investigated. During investigation, the disease symptoms in seed germination and seedlings growth produced by F. proliferatum inoculum and synthetic FA were observed. The FA produced by F. proliferatum was detected using Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC). During experimentation, F. proliferatum and synthetic FA were used as treatment. Results showed that the seed germination and root length were significantly reduced when the seeds were inoculated with F. proliferatum. In case of synthetic FA application, seed germination and seedling growth were also hampered and disease symptoms were developed due to the effect of FA. Significant reductions in seed germination, root and shoot length of rice seedlings were recorded when the seeds were inoculated with F. proliferatum compared to FA application. Thus, the specific role of FA was confirmed by comparing both of the FA treatments with control condition in where normal seed germination and seedling growth were observed. The adverse effect of FA on rice seed germination and seedling growth needs to overcome by developing resistant rice varieties through modern genetic technology.