RESEARCH REGARDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE FUNGUS“BLACK POINT” IN SEVERAL WHEAT VARIETIES CULTIVATED IN WESTERN ROMANIA (CASE STUDY)

Abstract

The wheat grains can be infected in the favourable years by fungi that are producing the disease named black point. The conditions from the climatic year 2019 in western Romania have favoured this disease, a great rateof the grains being infected. Thus, the quality of the cereals in the year 2019 was highly decreased due to the fungal infections from the genus Fusariumconnected with Alternaria. The mentioned fungi are very dangerous for the health because they are producing mycotoxins. The purpose of this research was to identify the fungi associated with black pointin four wheat varieties cultivated in near Timișoara and the setting of the frequency of the diseased grains. The analysed varieties were Exotic, Rubisco,Glosa și Lovrin 6x. The identification of the fungi implied in the black point disease was realised by laboratory analyses that were consisted in the placing of the previously sterilised wheat grains on the culture medium of agar. The samples prepared in this way were incubated at a temperature of 24 oC for 18 days. There were collected data by visual and microscopy observations at two intervals of time. Identification of the fungal growth on the grains affected by black point was done at the microscope. There were evidenced fungi from the genera Alternaria and Fusarium.The higher black point frequencies were registered in the varieties Glosa (13.51%) and Exotic (10%). In the variety Lovrin 6x, the frequency of the black point diseased grains was 9.03%. The lowest black point frequency was registered in the variety Rubisco (6.10%). The great fungal contamination rate was comprised between 88.23% inthe variety Rubisco and 100% in the variety Lovrin 6x. The wheat grains were contaminated in a high rate with the fungus Fusarium graminearumin the climatic conditions of the year 2019 that was favourable for the infection.