Fungi Isolated from Flue-cured Tobacco at Time of Sale and After Storage

The fungi isolated from 100 samples of flue-cured tobacco from 12 markets in 2 tobacco belts comprised 11 genera, including 10 species ofAspergillus . The mean percentage per sample isolated from 62 samples of tobacco from Middle Belt markets wasAlternaria , 40.6%;Aspergillus niger , 47.8%;Aspergillus repens , 38.0%; andPenicillium , 25.8%. The mean percentage per sample isolated from 38 samples of tobacco from Old Belt markets wasAlternaria , 74.0%;Penicillium , 52.5%;Aspergillus repens , 38.0%; andAspergillus ruber , 36.2%. Damaged (74 samples) and nondamaged (26 samples) stored tobacco yielded species of six genera of fungi, including eight species ofAspergillus . Species ofAspergillus andPenicillium were commonly isolated from both damaged and nondamaged tobacco, whereas species ofAlternaria, Cladosporium, Fusarium , andRhizopus were isoalted more frequently from nondamaged tobacco. The fungi that occurred in the highest population in damaged tobacco wereAspergillus repens, A. niger, A. ruber , andPenicillium species.