Fungi associated with damped-off and healthy pine seedlings and with seed in East African pine nurseries

Abstract

Specimens of healthy and damped-off seedlings of Pinus caribaea and P. khasya were surface sterilized and plated out, as were washings from seeds of P. caribaea. Nearly 70 fungus species were isolated, the large number being perhaps associated with nematode damage. Of the fungi considered as significant, i.e. present on at least five more occasions on diseased than on healthy seedlings, 64% of isolates were Fusarium, spp., 10% Curvularia spp. Botryodiplodia theobromae, though isolated only from diseased seedlings, was considered to be secondary. Corticium solani, though infrequently isolated, was felt to be of importance. Eighteen species and all host records are new for Tanzania. The fungi isolated from seed included six species isolated from diseased seedlings with significant frequency and Cylindrocarpon sp. It is therefore concluded that seed-borne infection may be important in this type of damping off.