Seed-borne fungi are solemn and deleterious pathogens capable of causing significant losses of quantity and quality losses in maize seeds and seedlings. They infect the crop at all points of the production chain from farms to stores. A yield loss of up to 50% can be encountered. Currently, chemical control of the disease is being implemented, though it is accompanied by several negative effects. This study aimed at identifying seed-borne fungi of maize and effective management options. A deep-freezing blotter method and morphological identification of the fungal species were implemented. The seed-borne fungi detected were Fusarium verticillioides, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Curvularia spp. However, in farmer-saved seeds, fungal incidences were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in certified seeds. To identify more effective management options, the efficacy of water and ethanol-extracted bio-fungicides from three plant species, namely, neem (Azadirachta indica), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and coffee (Coffea arabica) were evaluated. From in vitro assays, ethanol-extracted bio-fungicides have a 100% inhibitory effect on fungal growth, whilst the inhibitory effects of water-extracted bio-fungicides are 55.88% (Azadirachta indica) and 46.31% (Zingiber officinale), followed by 5.15% (Coffea arabica). For the case of an in vivo assay, maize seeds treated with water-extracted bio-fungicides have higher seed germination and seedling vigor percentages. For germination, seeds treated with water-extracted bio-fungicides have higher percentages (neem and ginger (90%) followed by coffee (72.5%)) than ethanol-extracted bio-fungicides (neem (0%), ginger (2.5%), and coffee (0%)). A similar observation is made for seedling weight. Therefore, the tested water-extracted bio-fungicides can be used in treating seeds before sowing them. Further studies on effective methods of extracting bioactive compounds, and improving their shelf life, are recommended.

Medicinal and pesticidal plant propagation is hampered by poor seed germination due to seed dormancy. This study aimed to enhance seed germination and seedling growth using various pre-sowing treatments. A triplicated two-factor experiment in a Randomized Complete Block design was used. Soaking in water at 25°C for 24 h (T1), soaking in 60°C hot water for 10 min (T2), 10 ppm Potassium nitrate (KNO3) treatment for 24 h (T3), 20 ppm Potassium nitrate (KNO3) treatment for 24 h (T4), Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 250 ppm (T5), GA3 Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 500 ppm for 72 (T6), Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 1000 ppm for 72 h (T7), and seeds without any pre-treatment were sown and used as control (To) on seed germination and seedling growth of two MPP species. The ability of a pre-sowing treatment to break seed dormancy was significantly dependent (p = 0.002) on the plant species. The effects due to interaction between pre-sowing seed treatment and plant species on seedling growth parameters (height, branches/shoot, leaves/shoot/, leaf area, fresh and dry weight) were significant (p < 0.05). These results provide the basis for the sustainable use of MPPs through propagation and conservation. Key words: Medicinal-pesticidal plants, seed dormancy, pre-treatment, germination. Medicinal and pesticidal plant propagation is hampered by poor seed germination due to seed dormancy. This study aimed to enhance seed germination and seedling growth using various pre-sowing treatments. A triplicated two-factor experiment in a Randomized Complete Block design was used. Soaking in water at 25°C for 24 h (T1), soaking in 60°C hot water for 10 min (T2), 10 ppm Potassium nitrate (KNO3) treatment for 24 h (T3), 20 ppm Potassium nitrate (KNO3) treatment for 24 h (T4), Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 250 ppm (T5), GA3 Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 500 ppm for 72 (T6), Treating seeds with Gibberellin (GA3) solution at 1000 ppm for 72 h (T7), and seeds without any pre-treatment were sown and used as control (To) on seed germination and seedling growth of two MPP species. The ability of a pre-sowing treatment to break seed dormancy was significantly dependent (p = 0.002) on the plant species. The effects due to interaction between pre-sowing seed treatment and plant species on seedling growth parameters (height, branches/shoot, leaves/shoot/, leaf area, fresh and dry weight) were significant (p < 0.05). These results provide the basis for the sustainable use of MPPs through propagation and conservation. Key words: Medicinal-pesticidal plants, seed dormancy, pre-treatment, germination.

Trichoderma species are commonly used as biological control agents against soil-borne pathogens, such as Fusariumoxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FoL), which causes tomato wilt. However, their effectiveness varies based on isolate traits and bioassay conditions. This research tested 46 native Tanzanian Trichoderma isolates, along with one commercial strain, against FoL strain PD- 87/91 using various in vitro bioassays. Dual culture tests were performed with both simultaneous and staggered inoculations, and pathogen growth inhibition (PGI) was analyzed via two-way ANOVA in R software. Significant impacts of the isolate, inoculation method, and their interaction on PGI were found (p < 0.001). Under simultaneous inoculation, PGI ranged from 62. 1% (Trichoderma erinaceum MG 3- 1) to 79. 9% (Trichodermaharzianum MG 7- 2), while under staggered inoculation, PGI varied from 47. 6% (Trichoderma virens NH 7- 3) to 58. 6% (Trichoderma harzianum SH 10- 2). Several native isolates performed better than the commercial control in both methods. Bell' s scale assessment showed mostly class 1 interactions during simultaneous inoculation, indicating complete pathogen suppression by Trichoderma, whereas class 2 interactions dominated during staggered inoculation. No class 4 or 5 interactions were detected. During interactions, yellow coloration was highly common (>80%) under both methods, though Pearson' s Chi-square test found no significant link between color and inoculation method (p = 0.892). VOC assays revealed significant differences among isolates (p < 0. 001), with SH 11- 2 (66. 22%) and KT 2- 2 (65. 92%) showing the highest VOC- mediated inhibition, outperforming the commercial strain (52. 23%). The findings indicate that Trichoderma' s antagonistic activity depends on both the specific isolate and the method, involving direct competition and VOC- based antibiosis. Combining PGI data, Bell' s scale, colour interaction, and VOC tests offers a comprehensive approach to selecting effective isolates for further research on biological control of tomato wilt in planta.