Banana (Musa, AAA) bunch-sections consisting of one hand attached to a short section of main-stalk were wound-inoculated with cultures of fungi isolated from diseased fingers, crowns, or main-stalks and stored in sealed polyethylene bags containing 3-7% oxygen, 10-13% carbon dioxide and <0.1 /zl 1-1 ethylene for 40 days at 20°C, then ripened with ethylene in air for nine days. Colletotrichum musae, Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans and Nattrassia mangiferae caused high infection incidence in unripe fingers during storage. These fungi also caused crown rot, but only F. moniliforme var. subglutinans caused main-stalk rot. Alternaria alternata and F. pallidoroseum both caused some infection in unripe fingers during storage, and both subsequently caused crown rot. A. alternata also infected main-stalks. Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Phomopsis musicola infected only ripening fingers, and F. culmorum infected only crowns and main-stalks. The pathogenicity of some isolates was changed by interposing storage between inoculation and ripening. C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides became unable to cause disease and F. culmorum caused less disease. In contrast, A. alternata and F. pallidoroseum became pathogenic to fingers, crowns and, in the case of A, alternata, to bunch main-stalks. Benomyl and prochloraz (500 mg 1-1) controlled most diseases at inoculation sites, and naturally-occurring main-stalk rot. Prochloraz controlled more diseases than benomyl, and this control was usually more effective.Key words: Banana; Musa; Rot, finger, stalk, crown, bunch main-stalk; Benomyl; Prochloraz INTRODUCTIONModified atmosphere (MA) storage of bananas is a versatile technology applicable to a wide range of cultivars, including AA, AAA, AAB and ABB or BBB

Until recently, Pestalotiopsis species have been identified based on host relationship and conidial dimensions. Pestalotiopsis species occur as endophytes, saprobes and also pathogens of many plant hosts. This study used molecular phylogenetic relationships based on ITS sequence data to identify Pestalotiopsis, Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis species in addition to their conidial pigmentation from four host plants namely Macaranga triloba, Macaranga sp., Shorea macrophylla and Syzygium sp. Based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis of 18 Pestalotiopsis-like isolates from the four different host plants, the isolates clustered separately into three clades corresponding to their conidial morphology and conidial median cell pigmentation as Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis, and Pseudopestalotiopsis irrespective of their host plant association. Among the four host plants studied, S. macrophylla hosts the highest diversity of Pestalotiopsis-like species while Syzygium sp. had the lowest diversity. This is the first report on the molecular phylogenetics and diversity of Pestalotiopsis, Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis species from Sarawak, Malaysia in line with recent re-classification in the genus. New records of Pestalotiopsis-like species were also recorded on new host plants.

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Southeast Asian dipterocarp forests contain plant species that are vulnerable and at risk of extinction. Microfungi, as important decomposers and sources of useful metabolites, have not been well studied in regards to their diversity and distribution in the Southeast Asian dipterocarp forests. This study reports the microfungal species associated with dominant and vulnerable plant species in two dipterocarp forests, namely Gunung Gading and Kubah National Parks, in Sarawak on the Borneo Island. Green leaves and litters of five host plants, namely Baccaurea sp., Macaranga triloba (Thunb.) Müll.Arg., Macaranga sp., Shorea macrophylla (de Vr.) Ashton and Syzygium sp., were incubated on water agar and malt extract agar. A total of 171 fungal taxa were recorded on the five host plants, during two visits, each to both forests. Syzygium sp. had the highest microfungal diversity of 84 taxa followed by 80 taxa on Macaranga sp., 53 taxa on Baccaurea sp., 43 taxa on M. triloba and the lowest, 35 taxa, on Shorea macrophylla. Pestalotiopsis spp., Oidiodendron spp., Graphium spp., and Mycelia sterilia were the most frequently isolated microfungal species from all the five host plants. There was a high microfungal similarity between Syzygium sp. and Macaranga sp. with 34 taxa common to both plants. The lowest similarity was recorded between S. macrophylla, M. triloba and Baccaurea sp. with only 13 taxa common between them. This is the first report on microfungi associated with dominant and vulnerable plant species in Southeast Asian dipterocarp forests; an important record of the fungal diversity on these plants and an exposition on microfungi in Sarawak,