The objectives of this study were to identify the fungi associated to carrot seeds from Montecristo, Córdoba in Argentina and to determine the efficiency of the chemical seed treatment to control fungi and check the effect of this treatment on the physiological quality of the seeds. Seed health and physiological tests were carried out. The effect of fungicide combined treatments was evaluated considering the different doses and time of seed immersion. High incidence of associated fungi was observed with prevalence of Alternaria alternata, Fusarium sp. and Epicoccum sp. Seed germination and vigor levels were closely related to the levels of fungal incidence. The fungicidal treatments reduced the percentage of contaminated seeds and their effects depended mainly on the time of seed immersion. The most efficient treatments were obtained with Tebuconazole, Tiram and Carboxin+Tiram at doses of 1.000 and 500 ppm a.i. applied by immersion for one hour. These treatments also induced increase in the germination percentages of carrot seeds under these study conditions.
chemical control; physiological quality; germination; vigor; health
