The objective of this study was to evaluate the severity and the progress of ramulosis in the field after disease establishment through inoculation of cotton seeds with Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides. The assay was carried out with five treatments and was replicated four times. The treatments consisted of plots with 5% of infected seeds that were inoculated through periods of exposure of seeds to the pathogen of 0, 36, 72, 96 and 108 h. Evaluations were made from 46 to 111 days after sowing and the data were transformed to area under the disease incidence progress curve (AUDPCI) and severity (AUDPCS). The incidence of ramulosis increased with increasing length of exposition of the seeds to the pathogen, reaching 99% of incidence at 108 h. On the other hand, a reduction in the percentage of seed germination was observed when the exposition time increased. Seed germination dropped from 99% at 36 h to 92% at 108 h. The AUDIPC and AUDSPC were influenced by the length of seed exposition to the pathogen. The higher progress of the incidence (93.1%) and of the severity (42.5%) occurred at 108 h.
Gossypium hirsutum; seed health; seed inoculation
