ABSTRACT
Several diseases of cereals can be, or are exclusively, transmitted through the seed. New pathotypes of already existing pathogens can also be spread in this way. The awareness of such problems has grown strongly in Italy in recent years and now several institutions are concerned with the science of seed pathology and related technology. Cooperative investigations are being carried out among such institutions. Surveys conducted on commercial seed samples of barley, wheat, maize, oats and rice, indicated frequent occurrence of Drechslera and Fusarium. Assessments of losses were performed in order to correlate the percentage of seed infection with yield losses. The efficiency of treatments on seeds with diverse levels of infection was also investigated to establish thresholds for appropriate disease management.
Certification schemes have been implemented. Through field inspections, laboratory seed health testing, treatment of pre-basic and basic seeds, the health condition of some cereal seeds is gradually improving, resulting in a reduced need for treatment of crops. A lot remains to be done concerning the choice of more suitable seed multiplication areas. In conclusion, seed pathology is contributing and is likely to contribute more in the future, to integrated control of cereal diseases in Italy.
