Fungi Associated with Sorghum Grains in Rural Indian Storages

ABSTRACT

A total of 67 sorghum grain samples were chosen from a survey in 1997; 34 samples from the 1996 rainy season and 33 from the 1996/97 post rainy season harvests. Five kilograms of sorghum grains were collected from each of the grain lots stored in jute bags, mud-lined baskets, metallic containers, polypropylene bags, and grains piled in a corner of a room. At ICRISAT, each sample was evaluated for fungi associated with sorghum grain and grain germination in a representative sample of 200 grains per treatment: (i) grains surface-sterilized in 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) prepared from Clorox^(r), and not treated with fungicide benomyl, (ii) grains surface sterilized and treated with benomyl (0.05%), (iii) grains not surface sterilized but treated with benomyl and (iv) grains neither surface sterilized nor treated with benomyl. Major fungi with a mean frequency of > 5% across storages, cultivars, harvesting seasons and treatments were: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Bipolaris australiensis, Curvularia lunata, C. lunata var aeria, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium citrinum, Phoma sorghina, and Rhizopus stolonifer. In addition, 41 fungi with a mean frequency of < 5% across storages, cultivars, harvesting seasons and treatments were observed. Significant differences were observed in grain germination and fungal frequency of rainy and post rainy season samples, storages and cultivars. Majority of the rabi samples represented improved variety Maldandi and stored their grain in jute bags, while kharif samples represented much wider varieties and hybrids and storage techniques. This study may help better understand danger of contamination by mycotoxins in relation to the mycoflora associated with sorghum grains.

Key Words:

• Rainy and post rainy seasons
• sorghum grains
• storage structures
• fungal profile
• fungal frequency

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shrishail S. Navi

Shrishail S. Navi is currently affiliated with Department of Plant Pathology, 351 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University (ISU), Ames, IA 50011-1020 USA (E-mail: [email protected]). Prior to joining ISU, he was with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India from 1987-2002.