Seed fungi of Pinus montezumae Lamb. and Pinus greggii Engelm. ex Parl. stored under two relative humidities

Abstract

Fungi develop upon pine seeds during storage, and deteriorate their quality. The objective of this study was to identify the fungal genera that are associated with the seeds of Pinus montezumae and P. greggii in two relative humidities (HR). They were stored at 60 and 80 % RH at 5 °C. The samplings were made for 180 days. Seed moisture content (HS), fungal free seeds (SLH) were assessed and fungal genera (GH) were identified by colony morphology. In HS and SLH, a completely randomized experimental design was applied and a comparison of means was made. All sources of variation were significant. The mean HS per species was 9.59 and 12.37 % and SLH of 64.52 and 69.28 % for P. greggii and P. montezumae, respectively. In the P. greggii seed stored at 60 HR, HS was 7.97 %, with 66.19 % in SLH and at 80 HR, 11.21 % and 62.85 % in SLH. For P. montezumae at 60 HR, the HS was 10.21 % and 71.42 % in SLH; at 80 HR, HS was 14.53 % and 67.14 % in SLH. The GH identified promote the deterioration of the seeds; they were: Alternaria sp, in P. greggii at 60 HR it was not observed, Penicillium sp. increased and predominated after 120 days, Fusarium sp. was constant; Aspergillus sp. and Rizhopus sp., appeared sporadically