Conidium production by insect pathogenic fungi on commercially available agars.
OBJECTIVE
Conidium production by three species of insect pathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana and Verticillium lecanii, was assessed on various depths and types of commercially available agars.


METHODS
Conidium production was assessed after 14 d of growth on commercially available media as well as at three different agar depths.


RESULTS
Metarhizium anisopliae and B. bassiana isolates showed greatest conidium production on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at a depth of 2 mm, whereas V. lecanii showed greatest conidium production on yeast extract-peptone-dextrose agar (YPDA) regardless of agar depth. Optimum conidium production for M. anisopliae and B. bassiana was not only dependent upon the isolate used but also on the medium type and agar depth.


CONCLUSIONS
Conidia are the infective structures for insect pathogenic fungi and this study suggests a rationale basis for consistent conidium production for laboratory and commercial practices.
Kamp
A M
AM
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
Bidochka
M J
MJ
D000362:Agar; D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D007313:Insecta / Q000382:microbiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development*; D020172:Verticillium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar