HIMANGSHU BARMAN AND MADHUSMITA HATIKAKOTY
Abstract
Relative infestation rate of air borne storage fungi and stored grain susceptibility of five different variety of ORYZA SATIVA (L) to fungal aerospora were determined. Samples of five variety of paddy grains having different husk thickness and husk texture were collected and experimented. Variations in husk texture and husk thickness of the grains were found to have definite influence on perception of air borne fungal spores on their husk cover. These spores on getting favourable moisture and temperature conditions will cause grain -mould epidemic in storage conditions. The magnitude of initial infestation will directly proportional to the fungal aerospora perceived by husk cover. From the experimentation it is found that density of fungal spores of different species in the air of the storage conditions is less influencing on infestation rate than the grain susceptibility attributed by husk texture and husk thickness of stored grains of paddy variety. Grains of different paddy varieties were infested at different rate though exposed to same ambient conditions at same time for same period.