Effect of treatment of beech seeds with copper nanoparticles on seed coat mycoflora

Seeds harbor a complex fungal community, of which some members may be pathogenic. For this reason seeds are often treated with fungicides before sowing. Plant protection is constantly looking for environmentally friendly technological solutions and nanotechnology can provide a solution that is green and an environmentally friendly alternative to fungicide treatment. The aim of this study was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the composition of fungal communities inhabiting the seed coats of healthy and damaged European beech seeds, and to assess the effect of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on the composition of these communities. The seeds were soaked in a solution of CuNPs at a concentration of 50 ppm, for 30 minutes. There were four groups of seeds: control - not treated with CuNPs, seeds examined 1 day (CuNP_1day) and 3 weeks after CuNPs (CuNP_3weeks) treatment and damaged seeds - not treated. Community analysis was conducted based on the ITS1 region using Illumina sequencing.