MALACHITE GREEN AGAR, A NEW SELECTIVE MEDIUM FOR FUSARIUM SPP

Malachite Green Agar 2.5 ppm (MGA 2.5) is a potent selective medium fo r isolation and enumeration of Fusarium spp. It has been tested with p ure and mixed cultures as well as in naturally contaminated samples. T he recoveries of Fusarium species in MGA 2.5 were the same as the reco veries obtained in Nash and Snyder medium. However, this medium is a m ore selective culture medium for Fusarium spp. than Nash and Snyder me dium, because it does not allow the development of colonies belonging to other fungal genera. MGA 2.5 is simple to prepare and less hazardou s than other Fusarium selective media containing pentachloronitrobenze ne (PCNB).