PHYTOSANITARY ASSESSMENT OF WHEAT AND BARLEY SEEDS TREATED WITH DITHIOCARBAMATES

Abstract

Introduction. Achieving high crop yields in agriculture depends largely on the quality of
seeds and planting materials. Seed-borne infections reduce germination capacity and overall plant
productivity, highlighting the need for treatments that combine growth-stimulating and fungicidal
properties. This study aimed to evaluate the stimulant and antifungal effects of aqueous solutions of
dithiocarbamates on wheat and barley seeds, identify optimal concentrations, and assess their impact on
seed quality and pathogenic microflora. Results and Discussion. Seeds of wheat and barley were treated
with five dithiocarbamate-containing preparations at concentrations of 0.001%, 0.01%, and 0.1%.
Germination energy, laboratory germination, seedling growth intensity, microbial activity, and percentage
of infected seeds were assessed. At a concentration of 0.001%, wheat seeds treated with Preparations 1
and 3-5 showed high germination rates (94.0-96.6%), although infection levels varied (6.0-27.3%). In
barley, Preparations 2-5 demonstrated significant stimulation of germination (93.0-98.0%) and reduced
seed infection to 8.0-22.0%. The most pronounced antifungal activity in barley was observed for
Preparations 1 and 3, reducing infection to 10.0-12.0% and 9.0-11.3%, respectively, compared to 77.3%
in the control. In wheat, Preparations 3 and 5 effectively reduced infection rates to 10.6-19.0% and 6.0-
16.0%, respectively. Conclusion. The results suggest that dithiocarbamate-containing preparations can
enhance seed viability while limiting pathogen development. Two compounds were most effective:
Preparation 5 (sodium benzylmethylcarbamodithioate) for wheat and Preparation 3 (sodium
dibenzylcarbamodithioate) for barley. These findings support their potential use as dual-action seed
treatments in cereal crop production.