Pathogenicity of fungi associated with leguminous seeds in the Eastern kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The study aimed to identify fungi associated with ten varieties of legumes seeds in the eastern region: Lupine (Lupinus albus L.), dry and kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpea and mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), faba and field beans (Vicia faba L.), brown and green lentil (Lens culinaris), chickpea (Cicer judaicum). The highest percentage of fungal infection was associated with mung bean (34.12% of infection) followed by faba beans (14.19%), brown lentil (13.18%), dry beans (12.16%), lupine (7.1%), chickpea (4.73%), cowpea (4.73%), field beans (4.73%), kidney beans (2.7%) and green lentil (2.37%). Several fungi were isolated at the following frequencies: Rhizoctonia solani (41.89%), Pythium aphanidermatum (32.43%), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (25.68%). The crops tested different reactions to fungal invasion as a result of the high aggressiveness of R. solani and S. sclerotiorum (2.31) on mung bean and P. aphanidermatum (1.75) on chickpea.