Isack, Y., Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel, Laboratory for Pest Management Research, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel
Benichis, M., Laboratory for Pest Management Research, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel
Gillet, D., Agricultural Research Organization, Southern Arava RandD Center, Arava RandD Center, Yotvata, Israel
Gamliel, A., Laboratory for Pest Management Research, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel

A selective agar medium based on macerated date fruits was developed for the isolation, enumeration and morphological identification of Fusarium proliferatum from soil and from infected tissues of various plants (including: onion bulbs, corn ears and stems, and various weed tissues). The selective date medium enhances the formation of polyphialide and longer chains of conidia for better separation from other related Fusarium species which also grow and proliferate on this medium. Furthermore, the date medium enables microscopic distinction among other closely related Fusarium species, e.g. F. oxysporum and F. verticillioides. Fruits of the date cultivars Medjoul and Deglet Noor provided the most useful results as compared with other cultivars tested. The date medium can serve as a selective medium for direct isolation and enumeration of F. proliferatum, as it suppresses the development of other soil fungi and plant pathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina, Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia solani, as well as bacteria. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.