Description:
Cones of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine with extensive mold on external portions of scales were sampled
for presence of fungi potentially pathogenic to conifer seedlings in nurseries. The major colonizers of cone
scales and external seedcoats for both conifer species were Trichoderma spp. Penicillium spp. were also very
common. The only potentially pathogenic organisms found on moldy cones were low levels of Fusarium (F.
acuminatum and F. oxysporum), Cylindrocarpon (C. tenue, C. didymum, and C. gracile), and Bottytis cinerea.
Levels of these potential pathogens were only a fraction of that of the common saprophytes, Trichoderma
and Penicillium. Tests to evaluate effects of these fungi on seed germination and seedling establishment are
needed. Cones with high levels of external moldiness were not extensively colonized with potentially pathogenic
fungi and need not be discarded because of extensive fungal growth.