![]() ![]() Some seed companies have the resources to minimize the chance of their seed becoming contaminated and also to test their seed. If you save your own seed or buy from a small producer, hot-water treatment may well be worthwhile. The seed’s history is another important consideration when deciding whether treatment is warranted. ![]() Vegetable seed that can be treated are listed in Table 1 and diseases caused by pathogens that can be seed-borne are listed in Table 2. Tomato, pepper, and crucifers are crops affected by some of the more common pathogens that can be seed-borne. ![]() For example, the pathogen causing black rot in crucifers is common in the northeast while the pathogen causing black leg has not been detected for years. Some pathogens that can be in seed occur more commonly than other seed-borne pathogens. Most large-seeded crops (beans, cucurbits, and peas) cannot be effectively treated with hot water. Likelihood that a particular batch of seed could benefit from hot water treatment depends on the crop, the pathogens affecting it, and the seed’s history. Only heat treatment can get in to these pathogens. Pathogens able to get inside seed are especially difficult to manage because a surface disinfectant or fungicide treatment won’t affect them. Additionally, a severe disease outbreak can result when a pathogen is present at the start of plant growth. Contaminated seed can be an important first source of a pathogen on a farm or even a larger area (most notable example is the new downy mildew of basil in the US). Diseases caused by seed-borne bacterial pathogens include black rot of crucifers, bacterial leaf spot of pepper, and bacterial canker of tomato. Seed-borne fungi include pathogens causing Septoria leaf spot of tomato and Alternaria leaf spot of crucifers. Fortunately, not all are capable of becoming associated with seed, but some important pathogens can. Ensuring seed is not a source of pathogens causing diseases is an important first step in management. ![]()
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