COMPERATIVE HEALTH STATUS AND FIELD PERFORMANCE OF FARMER’S SAVED WHEAT SEED IN MAJOR WHEAT GROWING REGIONS OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with farmer’s saved wheat seed var. Kanchan collected from Dinajpur, Thakurgoan, Nilphamary, Pabna, Chuadanga and WRC to find out their health status and field performance during April-2005 to June-2006. Laboratory experiment was conducted in the Plant Pathology Laboratory, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTVU), Dinajpur, and field experiment was at the field of Wheat Research Center (WRC) Nashipur, Dinajpur. The highest moisture content (14. 37%) found in farmer’s seed of Chuadanga that of lowest in WRC’s (12.20) seed sample. Considering the health status, insect and weed contamination were higher in farmer’s saved seeds than those of WRC‘s sample. Seeds of WRC always free from varietals mixture crop residues, other crop seeds and inert matter compared to farmer’s saved seeds depicting the better status of WRC’s seed samples. In respect of abnormal seed condition higher amount of black pointed seeds, insect damaged seeds, shriveled seeds, under sized seeds was found in farmers seed compared to WRC’s seed. The lower germination percentage, and higher dead seeds, abnormal seedlings were recorded in farmers saved seed compared to WRC seeds. Fungi associated with seed sample and their prevalence found were Bpolaris sorokiniana, Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp. Alternaria spp Curvularia spp. respectively. The range of Bipolaris, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Alternaria, oa Curvularia recorded from the seeds samples were 91.25 - 51.25, 29.75 - 3.25, 21.25 - 8.75, 6.50 — 2.25 and 6.50 — 2.75 respectively. Higher emergence of seedling/m* observed in WRC’s seed sample retiling the better field performance of WRC’s seed sample at 7DAS and 15 DAS but lower in farmer’s saved seed of Chuadanga. The percent leaf infection at different observations was high in seed of Chuadanga, but low in seed WRC in 2™, 3rd and 4" observations for flag leafand pre flag (f-1) leaf respectively. At first observation the disease incidence was low initially but it attained maximum at the 5" observation in farmer’s seed samples of Chuadanga and Pabna. Flag leaf and pre flag (f-1) leaf showed low disease incidence on seed sample of WRC. The disease incidence gradually increased with the advanced of time. Plant height, yield and 1000 grain weight was higher from WRC’s seed sample than farmer’s saved seed of Chuadanga. Lower number of black pointed seeds, shriveled seeds, under sized seeds, per spike were recorded in farmer’s saved seeds compared to the seed sample of WRC as evident with its better health status over the rest of the seed samples.