IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL OF FUNGI ASSOC IATED TO STORED CAGAITA (EUGENIA-DYSENTERICA DC) SEEDS

In order to identify fungi associated to seeds of 'cagaita' and to eva luate the effect of 8 fungicide treatments on fungal control and germi nation, two experiments were carried out at EMBRAPA-CPAC research stat ion. In the first experiment, seeds were treated and stored in a humid cold chamber for one day before being sowed in flats filled with sand . The same was done for the second one, but seeds were stored for 50 d ays before sowing. Evaluation was done for percentage of infected seed s, percentage of emergence, and speed of emergence. Fungi isolated fro m seeds were Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Helmin thosporium, Mucor, Nigrospora, Penicillium, and Rhizopus. Seeds soaked in a 5% aqueous solution of Benomyl for ten minutes promoted the best results for fungal control and emergence speed and rate. This treatme nt also accelerated the germination of seeds stored for one day period . Treatments either with sodium hypochlorite or with Carboxin + Thiram were phytotoxic to seedlings of cagaita.