A study was conducted in the Department of Seed Science and Technology and Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, OUAT, Bhawanipatna to determine the seed health status of cowpea seeds with respect to presence of seed borne myco-flora associated with cowpea seeds. Particularly in treated seeds and their impact on various seed quality parameters. A total of ten cowpea seed samples were taken from farmers of various districts throughout Western Odisha. From both the methods i.e., blotter paper and the PDA, several plant pathogens were detected such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium equiseti, Rhizopus sp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Pseudomonas sp., and Xanthomonas sp. In several seed lots, microbial infection was ranged from (2.07-4.85%) using blotter paper methods. In the blotter paper method, infection by Aspergillus niger (4.85%) was highest, followed by Aspergillus flavus (4.47%), Pseudomonas sp. (4.37 %), Fusarium equiseti (3.55%), Rhizopus sp. (2.52%), and Xanthomonas sp. (2.07 %). In the PDA and Blotter paper methods, seed mycoflora identification varied from 5.75–11.25 % and 12.75–30.25 %, respectively. Blotter paper methods shows a higher number of seed mycoflora than PDA methods as the seeds are not treated by (0.1%) HgCl2

Seed quality, mycoflora, seed health, farmer’s saved seed, cowpea

After a thorough and critical examination of the findings of this research, the following major conclusions can be drawn: Cowpea variety Swarna of Bhawanipatna, Kalahandi district, western Odisha was found to have the highest percentage of physically pure seed (%), germination (%), viability (%), seedling vigour index-I, seedling vigour index-II, and speed of germination in farmers saved seed. Bhawanipatna collection had the lowest seed infection, but Kantamal, Boudh district had the greatest seed infection, 30.25 % in the Blotter paper methods, however it varied from 9.25 to 20.75 % in both the varieties and genotypes in PDA methods. Macrophomina phaseolina and Alternaria sp. both are internal seed mycoflora. In the PDA and Blotter paper methods, identification of seed mycoflora in various farmers saved seed varied from 5.75–11.25 % and 12.75–30.25 %, respectively. In the PDA method, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium equiseti, and Rhizopus sp. were identified, whereas in the blotter method, Macrophomina phaseolina, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium equiseti, and Alteranaria sp. were detected, as well as two bacteria, Xanthomonas sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were detected in blotter method. Hence, blotter paper methods yielded a higher number of seed mycoflora than PDA methods

N. Ranasingh, N. Pradhan, R.L. Moaharana, K.A. Biswal, S. Mohanty, B. Khamari, Lata Malik D. Behera (2021). Seed Quality and Health Status of (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Farmer’s Saved cowpea Seeds Collected from Different Locations of Western Odisha. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 13(2): 737-743.