The transmission of Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides by cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) seeds was studied at different temperatures using seeds inoculated at different times of exposure to pathogen grown in osmotic agar medium. The experiment consisted of six treatments, three exposure times (36, 72 and 108 h) of seeds to osmotic medium with and without fungus, and tests at temperatures of 15, 20, 25 and 30 ± 2 °C. Treatments without the fungus were used as control. Inoculation periods were implicated in differences in the incidence and percentage of pathogens in seeds. The highest rates were observed when seeds were exposed for 108 h, with consequences for the germination and percentage of surviving plants. No statistical difference was detected at 36 and 72 h. Lower temperatures and more inoculum of seeds led to a lower percentage of germination and surviving plants. Disease intensity was not influenced by inoculation periods. However, temperature was an important factor affecting the transmissibility of pathogen; an increase of incidence and severity led to an increase in the transmissibility of the pathogen. Osmotic conditioning of seeds stimulated fungus development; a high incidence and severity of disease were found when inoculation of seeds was done at 108 h.
Gossypium hirsutum; water restriction; seeds; transmissibility; ramulose
