Studies on the health and quality of seeds from native tree species are scarce in the tropics, which is the case of Inga vera, a recalcitrant-seeded Brazilian species used in reforestation. In this study a series of experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of fungicides and hydration levels on the suppression of seed borne fungi and seed physiology. Firstly, three commercially available fungicide formulations (thiram, carbendazim + thiram and carboxin + thiram) for seed treatment were evaluated. Secondly, embryos were subjected to a combination of four drying levels (62, 52, 44 e 34 % water content) with or without fungicide (carbendazim + thiram). All three preliminary screened fungicide formulations were not phytotoxic, with carbendazim + thiram performing best. Seed deterioration was associated with a high incidence of fungi at any level of drying. Fungicide treatment reduced the incidence of the most common fungi (Acremonium curvulum and Phomopsis diachenii) and extended the lifespan of non-dried embryos from 90 to 120 days. © 2016, Sociedade Brasileira de Fitopatologia.413177182