FUNGI OF STORED KHAYA ANTHOTECA SEEDS AND THEIR EFFECT ON GERMINATION

Abstract

Twenty-one fungi belonging to 18 genera were identified on seeds of Khaya anthoteca stored under 8.2% moisture content for 12 months at -18,5 and 15 °C. Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium solani, F. pallidoroseum and Macrophomina phaseolina were the predominant species. High occurrence of Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium sp., Pyrenochaeta sp. and Cylindrodadium sp. on the ungerminated seeds could have caused decay of seeds thus resulting in erratic germination results. Seeds stored at -18 or 5 °C had a higher occurrence of fungi and showed significantly lower germination than those stored at 15 °C, indicating the detrimental effect of fungi under unfavourable storage environments. Fusarium solani and F. pallidoroseum were identified on a large number of ungerminated
seeds, suggesting their detrimental effects on seeds during storage.