Aiming to detect rice seed discoloration fungi, the behavior of 37 lowland rice cultivars to each of them was determined in two field trials carried out with three replications in two sites of the State of São Paulo (Tremembé and Pindamonhangaba), Brazil, in 1980/81. Seed samples were drawn from the whole yield of each experimental plot. Spotted and spotless seeds were visually separated and discolored seed (DS%) and weight loss percentages (WL%) calculated. From each treatment 50 spotted and 50 spotless seeds were plated separately in Petri dishes and incubated by the blotter method. The following fungi species were detected: Alternaria sp., Cephalosporium sp., Cladosportum spp., Corynespora sp., Curvularia spp., Epicoccum spp., Fusarium moniliforme, Helminthosporium oryzae, Phoma spp., Pyricularia oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Rhynchosporium oryzae, Trichoconiella padwickii, Trichoderma sp. e Trichothecium sp. In relation to the number of seeds infected with each fungus, highly significant statistical differences between spotted and spotless seeds were detected for H. oryzae, Phoma spp., R. oryae and T. padwickii. They were considered as causal agents of the spots. The statistical analysis of ihe data related to each parameter showed that a variable number of cultivars out performed the commercial control, as to each respective parameter studied: 32 as to DS%; 4 as to WL%; 24 as to H. oryzae; 6 as to Phoma spp.; all cultivars as to R. oryzae and 11 as to P. padwickii. The statistical analysis of all parameters in the two sites showed the cultivars PI-1291, PI-1356, PI-1377, IR-1544, P2-S1-78, L-17-72, P2-48, P2-S2 and GI-6904-6 as the best ones when compared with the commercial control IAC-899.
rice seeds; genetic resistance; seed pathology