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Abstract Grain molds are the most important and widespread disease of forage and grain sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers. and Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). It is a major constraint to sorghum productivity. Grain mold development is particularly severe in the short duration hybrid cultivars and varieties that are grown under warm and humid conditions. Seed rots caused by a number of unspecialized fungal pathogens that severely affect grain mass, seed viability, grain quality, and market price. Sorghum cultivars with white grain pericarp and dense, compact heads (panicles) are particularly more vulnerable to grain mold than those with brown and red grain pericarp and with losses, open heads (Vincelli and Hershman,2007). Grain mold can be broadly defined as preharvest grain deterioration caused by several fungal species interacting parasitically and/or saprophytically with developing grain. Damage due to grain mold has been associated with losses in seed mass, density, germination, storage quality, food and feed processing quality and market value. Moreover, some of the mold fungi are producers of potent mycotoxin that are harmful to human and animal health and productivity. Production losses due to sorghum grain mold range from 30% to 100% depending on cultivar, time of flowering and prevailing weather conditions during flowering (Singh and Bandyopadhyay, 2000). |