Assessment of Seed-Borne Fungi of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and Their Application in Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Three seed health testing (SHT) methods employed was found efficient in the detection of Gram seed mycoflora, in their order of merit as blotter paper method, agar plate and seed washes methods. Among these three seed health methods, the agar plate is most superior for the isolation of fungi viz. Aspergillusflavus, Aspergillusniger, Fusariummoniliforme, Alternariaalternata, Macrophominaphaseolina, Drechsleralongirosrata, Sclerotiumrolfsii, Aspergillusfumigatus, Cladosporiumherbarum Penicilliumcitrinum, Curvularialunata, Rhizopusarrhizus and Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctoniasolani and Mucormucedo. All of these fungi were found pathogenic to sunflowers and also found to affect, seed rot, seed germination, leaf spot, rust and wilt vigor index of sunflowers. The identified fungi used for the synthesis of the nanoparticles.