FACTORS INFLUENCE ON GROWTH, DON AND NIV PRODUCTION BY TWO SPECIES OF FUSARIUM ISOLATED FROM FINGER MILLETS (ELEUSINE CORACANA L.) Original Article

ABSTRACT Objective: The present investigations (In vitro) on an influence of different synthetic and food based [flour] media, pH, temperature and microbial nutrients on growth, Deoxynivalenol [DON] and Nivalenol [NIV] production by Fusarium aethiopicum and F. culmorum was carried out. Methods: Fusarium species associated with the finger millets were isolated and identified phenotypically and further confirmed by molecular methods by Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR]. Monosporic seven day old F. aethiopicum and F. culmorum were grown in CYA broth and incubated at 27±2°C on rotary shaker for 21 days at 120 rpm. At the end of day incubation period, cultures 21 were harvested for determination of fungal biomass. The resultant culture filtrates were extracted twice with ethyl acetate and concentrated to get and final concentration of in methanol 1 mland employed for RP-HPLC analysis for detectio n of DON and NIV production. Results: Finger millets flour medium induced the highest amount of mycelial growth, DON and NIV production by aethiopicum.