Interactive key for fungi identify in vegetable seeds

Introduction

An easy-to-use interactive key was developed through Lucid^© software for the identification of eleven fungal species associated with vegetable seeds. This key was based on a matrix composed of six features and their respective character states: crop (onion, carrot, pepper or tomato), conidia (branched chains, single or not visible), conidiophore (short, long or short-not visible), color of long conidiophore (dark-black or hyaline-transparent), color of mycelium (brown, grey, white, roseate-salmon, black, green or yellow) and presence of setae (presence or absence).

The present key provides the user interaction with high resolution images prepared through the overlapping and compilation of photos in order to faithfully reproduce the fungal characteristics present in the seeds observed through stereoscope and light microscope. For these reasons, this key is differentiated from the other tools currently available, as it allows a greater accuracy in the identification, facilitating diagnostic work in Seed Pathology and also in Phytopathology, such as sanitary certification, quarantine stations and research agencies. In addition, this tool can be used in the academic environment, helping in the teaching and training of students and help university teachers empower students to perform seed health testing with greater reliability. It is available in English and Portuguese.

Authors

Caroline Geraldi Pierozzi¹, Ricardo Toshio Fujihara² and Adriana Zanin Kronka¹

¹ UNESP - São Paulo State University, School of Agriculture, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, Zip Code 18610-307.
² UFSCar - Federal University of São Carlos, Dept. of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Education, Araras, São Paulo, Brazil, Zip Code 13600-970.

Version

June 2018