ISOLATION OF FILAMENTOUS FUNGI IN POST-HARVEST CEREAL GRAIN DURING THE STORAGE AND THEIR EFFECT ON SEED HEALTH.

Abstract

A study conducted to determine the fungi associated with important cereal crop in storage. They were Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Maize (Zea mays), Millet (Pennisetum typhoiodes) and Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), collected from a storage. A total number of 96 seed samples, 5 seed samples of each species were collected during 2015- 2016, from Marathwada region. We analyze Mycological of seed by the agar plating method on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA).Medium and Standard Blotter Method (SBM), revealed the occurrence of 21 diverse fungal species belonging to 9 genera. The fungal species isolated were Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium graminearam, Rhizopus spp., Alternaria alternata, Penicillium sp, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Rhizopus stolonifer, Fusarium oxysporum and Mucus sp., among the two methods, the agar paper method was found to be suitable as in less incubation; there was a higher percent incidence of Filamentous fungi. Maize seed samples show maximum incidence of Aspergillus flavus, A. niger and A. fumigattus. Sorghum seed show the maximum percent incidence of various fungi as compare to other Cereals samples. All fungi affected adversely to seed health of the test. The effect of 10 dominant seed-borne fungi on seed health studied by germination methods. The dominant seed-borne fungi affected adversely to seed health; namely, seed germination of the Maize seed samples.