Dose-Dependent Effect of the Polyamine Spermine on Wheat Seed Germination, Mycelium Growth of Fusarium Seed-Borne Pathogens, and In Vivo Fusarium Root and Crown Rot Development

Tsvetina Nikolova, Dessislava Todorova (), Tzenko Vatchev, Zornitsa Stoyanova, Valya Lyubenova, Yordanka Taseva, Ivo Yanashkov and Iskren Sergiev
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Tsvetina Nikolova: Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Dessislava Todorova: Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tzenko Vatchev: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protections “Nikola Poushkarov”, Shose Bankya 7, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Zornitsa Stoyanova: Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Valya Lyubenova: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protections “Nikola Poushkarov”, Shose Bankya 7, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Yordanka Taseva: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protections “Nikola Poushkarov”, Shose Bankya 7, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Ivo Yanashkov: Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protections “Nikola Poushkarov”, Shose Bankya 7, 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria
Iskren Sergiev: Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bldg. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a crucial global food crop. The intensive crop farming, monoculture cultivation, and impact of climate change affect the susceptibility of wheat cultivars to biotic stresses, mainly caused by soil fungal pathogens, especially those belonging to the genus Fusarium . This situation threatens yield and grain quality through root and crown rot. While conventional chemical fungicides face resistance issues and environmental concerns, biological alternatives like seed priming with natural metabolites are gaining attention. Polyamines, including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are attractive priming agents influencing plant development and abiotic stress responses. Spermine in particular shows potential for in vitro antifungal activity against Fusarium . Optimising spermine concentration for seed priming is crucial to maximising protection against Fusarium infection while ensuring robust plant growth. In this research, we explored the potential of the polyamine spermine as a seed treatment to enhance wheat resilience, aiming to identify a sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides. Our findings revealed that a six-hour seed soak in spermine solutions ranging from 0.5 to 5 mM did not delay germination or seedling growth. In fact, the 5 mM concentration significantly stimulated root weight and length. In complementary in vitro assays, we evaluated the antifungal activity of spermine (0.5–5 mM) against three Fusarium species. The results demonstrated complete inhibition of Fusarium culmorum growth at 5 mM spermine. A less significant effect on Fusarium graminearum and little to no impact on Fusarium oxysporum were found. The performed analysis revealed that the spermine had a fungistatic effect against the pathogen, retarding the mycelium growth of F. culmorum inoculated on the seed surface. A pot experiment with Bulgarian soft wheat cv. Sadovo-1 was carried out to estimate the effect of seed priming with spermine against infection with isolates of pathogenic fungus F. culmorum on plant growth and disease severity. Our results demonstrated that spermine resulted in a reduced distribution of F. culmorum and improved plant performance, as evidenced by the higher fresh weight and height of plants pre-treated with spermine. This research describes the efficacy of spermine seed priming as a novel strategy for managing Fusarium root and crown rot in wheat.

Keywords: antifungal activity; Fusarium spp.; seed priming; spermine; wheat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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