482 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. I, No. 6 
FIELD EXPERIMENTS WITH SEED INOCULATED WITH IMPERFECT 
FUNGI 
In order to test whether the imperfect fungi which were found patho¬ 
genic in the greenhouse on seeds and seedlings would act similarly under 
field conditions, field experiments were undertaken at University Farm, 
St. Paul, Minn., in the spring of 1912. 1 The two strains of Helmintho- 
sporium gramineum and the one strain of Fusarium cidmorum which had 
been found pathogenic in the greenhouse were tested in connection with 
wheat, barley, and oat seed. The same varieties of grains which were 
used in the experiments at Washington, D. C., were used in the field 
experiments. The seed was treated in a formalin solution of 3 parts of 
40 per cent formaldehyde to 1,000 parts of water for one hour and after¬ 
wards was inoculated exactly as in the greenhouse work already described. 
Immediately after inoculation, the seed was planted in the field in rows 
1 rod in length and 10 inches apart, with controls every alternate two 
rows. The seeds were counted. After the grain had sprouted and the 
plants were from 3 to 6 inches high, careful counts were made to deter¬ 
mine the percentage of germination and observation made of the vigor 
of the plants during the first few weeks of growth. The results are given 
in Table III. 
Table III .—Results of inoculating seed of wheat } barley , and oats with imperfect fungi 
isolated from grain plants , and of planting them in the field at University Farm, 
St. Paul , Minn. 
Test 
No. 
Species. 
Origin. 
Inocu¬ 
lated on— 
Date of 
planting. 
Inoculated seed. 
Control seed. 
Num¬ 
ber 
planted. 
Germi¬ 
nated. 
Num¬ 
ber 
planted. 
Germi¬ 
nated. 
Num¬ 
ber. 
Per 
cent- 
age. 
Num¬ 
ber. 
Per 
cent- 
age. 
19x2. 
X 
Helminthospo r i - 
Wheat culm... 
Wheat.. 
Apr. 27 
160 
12$ 
78.1 
159 
i 5 S 
97-5 
11m gramineum. 
2 
.do. 
.do. 
Barley.. 
...do. 
160 
US 
71.9 
160 
130 
81.2 
3 
.do. 
.do. 
Oats.... 
.. .do. 
160 
I45 
90.6 
160 
143 
88. 7 
4 
.do. 
Barley leaf.... 
Wheat.. 
160 
89 
55-6 
160 
122 
76. 2 
5 
.do. 
.do.. 
Barley.. 
.. .do. 
160 
109 
61. 8 
160 
131 
81.9 
6 
.do. 
.do. 
Oats.... 
.. .do. 
160 
121 
75. 6 
160 
142 
88.7 
7 
Fusarium culmo- 
Oat seedling.. 
Wheat.. 
.. .do. 
160 
98 
61. 2 
160 
130 
81. 2 
rum. 
8 
. .do. 
.do. 
Barley.. 
...do. 
160 
XI4 
71. 2 
160 
130 
81. 2 
9 
.do. 
.do. 
Oats.... 
...do. 
160 
96 
60.0 
160 
140 
87.5 
The results given in Table III substantiate the results of the experi¬ 
ments in the greenhouse. Helminthosporium gramineum from wheat 
when applied to the seed reduced the percentage of germination of both 
wheat and barley, but not to the same extent as in the greenhouse tests. 
Oats were not appreciably affected. The material used for inoculation 
In these experiments the writer was assisted by Messrs. Alden A. Potter and John H. Parker. 
