Seed mycoflora associated with ragi (Eleusine coracana (L.) geartin

Abstract

Ragi (Eleusine coracana (L.) Geartin is millet grown as food crop in the states of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra pradesh in India and also in Srilanka and South African countries. The grain of Ragi (Finger millet) cannot be destroyed easily by insects and can be stored for a longer time with high nutritive value. Hence an attempt is made to study the mycoflora of the seeds and physico-chemical parameters with the germination percentage for a period of six months. Seeds are treated with fungicides like Bavistin, Mancozeb and Zeneb and their effect is studied. About 25 species belonging to 15 genera were isolated from the control and about 12 species belonging to four genera were isolated from fungicide treated seeds. A decrease in fungal numbers is noticed in fungicide treated seeds. During storage a variation from field to storage fungi is noticed.