Development of a selective culture medium for Fusarium moniliforme

Nash and Snyder medium and malachite green agar 2.5 ppm medium, a new selective culture medium designed in our laboratory, were challenged with pure cultures of Fusarium moniliforme strains and two different mixed-conidium suspensions, which included rapidly spreading fungi, for their utility in the isolation and enumeration of F. moniliforme. From the results of this comparative study, malachite green agar 2.5 ppm allowed only the selective growth of F. moniliforme whereas Nash and Snyder medium allowed both the growth of F. moniliforme and other species not belonging to Fusarium spp. The enumeration of F. moniliforme propagules was similar in both culture media.