Determination of the fungal microbiota of long-term stored Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) seeds

This thesis study was carried out in order to determine the fungal microbiota of Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) seeds. Seed collected between 1997-2017 from 4 different seed orchards and than stored in a cold storage room until 2020 were used in this study. The mycobiota of seeds were studied based on culture depended methods. Fungi were identified both morphologically and via sequencing the ITS region of isolates. A total of 33 taxa belonging to Ascomycota and Basdiomycota divisions were identified. The top ten most common taxa included Jattaea sp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Neocucurbitaria sp., Sydowia polyspora., Penicillium spp., Aequabiliella sp., Kalmusia variispora, Neofusicoccum mediterraneum and Lophodermium seditiosum. Other taxa belonging to Ascomycota division were; Diplodia sapinea, Ochroconis sp. Nothophoma sp., Didymosphaeria sp., Botryotinia sp., Trichothecium roseum and Trichoderma sp. Those belonging to the Basidiomycota division were Stereum hirsutum, Sistotrema brinkmannii, Schizophyllum commune and Butlerelfia sp.. Jattaea sp. was the only common taxon isolated from seeds belonging to the whole group of origins and storage durations. The highest number of isolates and taxa were detected in seeds of Serik and Kesmeçay origins and in young seeds (stored for 0-5 years), and their fungal biodiversity was found to be higher than the others. Pathogenic fungi such as Diplodia sapinea, Lophodermium seditiosum, Sydowia polyspora and Neofusicoccum mediterraneum were also isolated from the Turkish pine seeds. Correlation analysis revealed a decrease in fungal colonization rates as the storage time increased. Accordingly, it can be said that the Turkish pine seeds can be stored under suitable conditions for long periods over 20 years. On the other hand, to prevent the establishment and spread of pathogenic fungi, seeds should be checked for the presence of pathogenic fungi before and after storage.