Effects of physical and chemical treatments on seed germination and soybean seed-borne fungi

Soybean is an important food commodity in Indonesia after rice and maize. Plant pathogens still constrain the increase in soybean productivity. One of the plant pathogenic infections can occur during the seed phase. Therefore this study aimed to determine the effect of physical and chemical treatments as control of seed-borne fungi and their impact on soybean seed germination. This study used a completely randomized design consisting of 9 treatments, namely physical therapy by heating the seeds in a microwave at a temperature of 40 °C for 10, 20, 30, and 40 seconds and chemical treatment by soaking the seeds in a fungicide with active ingredient difenoconazole with a concentration of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. Seeds without heating and as control are soaking fungicides. Each treatment was repeated three times. The seeds that have been given treatments are then planted using the growing test technique and incubated for seven days. Furthermore, the seed viability and the growth of pathogenic fungi were observed at the end of incubation. The results showed that soybean seed germination was not affected by physical and chemical treatments. The seed viability of 100% with or without treatment. This was confirmed by the findings of seed-borne fungi (Curvularia, Fusarium, Aspergillus) with a low infection rate of 0.01-0.19%. Chemical treatment with concentrations of 0.5%, 2%, and 3% had a significant effect on the Fusarium infection level, which was higher than the control, which was 0.18%, 0.17%, and 0.19%. Meanwhile, for Curvularia and Aspergillus, physical and chemical treatments did not have a significant effect.