Occurrence and Diversity of Seed Associated Fungi in Stored Sorghum from Maekel and Debub Regions of Eritrea

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is considered one of the most important cereal crops after wheat, rice, maize, and barley in terms of cultivated area and production. This study investigated sorghum seed associated fungi stored in two different types of containers (koffo and plastic sacks) in Zoba Debub and Zoba Maekel. Germination rates and moisture content were assessed to identify fungal species that could flourish and cause significant deterioration to sorghum grains. A substantial level of fungal contamination was detected in the analyzed samples. The most frequently isolated and identified fungal genera included Alternaria sp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Absidia sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp., Fusarium sp., Hemicola sp., Mucor sp., Rhizopus sp., Stemphylium sp., and an unidentified white sterile mycelium. Among these, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were the most dominant, each accounting for 80% of the isolates. Higher germination percentages were observed in grains stored in koffo containers compared to plastic sacks, attributed to the lower moisture content in koffo. The traditional storage container, koffo, maintains temperature through micro-pores which enhance proper aeration, creating conditions that are less conducive to fungal growth. Consequently, koffo not only preserves higher germination rates but also inhibits fungal colonization and contamination. It is therefore recommended as a preferable alternative to plastic sacks for storing sorghum seeds. Keywords: Germination, Koffo, Moisture Content, Plastic Sack, Seed-mycoflora, Sorghum.