Effect of storage temperature and packaging materials on seed germination and seed-borne fungi of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench .) in South West Nigeria

A laboratory experiment was conducted at Ibadan, Nigeria to determine the effect of storage temperature and packaging materials on the germination and associated seed-borne fungi of two accessions of sorghum seed (NG/SA/07/0194 and NGB/08/0270). The seeds were stored at three different storage temperature (gene bank temperature -5°C), freezing temperature (-20 ± 2°C) and ambient temperature (25 ± 3°C), while the packaging materials were in an aluminum can, plastic container and polyethylene bag. The result showed that sorghum seeds stored inside gene bank and freezer irrespective of the packaging materials and type of accession retain their viability to the tune of 90.67 to 100%. Whereas seeds stored at ambient temperature had low germination percentage (10.67 to 28.00%) except those stored in aluminum can (41.33%). A total of six seed-borne fungi species were isolated from the two accessions of sorghum seeds irrespective of storage temperature and packaging materials. These included Fusarium, Drechslera, Alternaria, Curvularia, Aspergillus and Penicillium. The incidence of seed-borne fungi were more on seeds stored at ambient temperature (12.00 to 66.33%) irrespective of the storage materials. The results also recorded that the higher the infections by seed-borne fungi, the lower the germination.