Abstract

The relationship of Aspergillus flavus infection on seed quality was studied by artificial inoculation of A. flavuson seeds of groundnut cultivar VRI 2 collected from three major groundnut growing areas of TamilNadu viz., Vridhachalam, Thindivanam, Villupuram. A. flavus spores isolated from groundnut kernels were inoculated with 0, 0.25 and 0.5% infection on seed coat of disease free groundnut kernels after initial physiological and seed health evaluation and then stored in cloth bag at ambient condition and evaluated bimonthly. The seeds inoculated with 0.5% infection lost its viability (69%) at the end of storage period. Seeds with 0% infection maintained its viability at the end of storage period (72%). The seeds with 0.25% infection maintained germination up to 71% at the end of storage period. Storing the seeds with 0% infection is not at all possible, thus, the seeds with 0.25% of A. flavus infection could be the tolerable limit for safer storage of groundnut seeds.

Key words: Aspergillus flavus, groundnut cultivar, germination, storage period.