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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #94143
Title: SPORULATION OF MYCOLEPTODISCUS TERRESTRIS ON A SYNTHETIC CULTURE MEDIUM

Author
item WINBERG, R - UNIV OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
item GRAU, CRAIG - UNIV OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
item Sharpee, Debra
item Smith, Richard

Submitted to: Trifolium Conference Abstract & Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mycoleptodiscus terrestris causes a root and crown rot of red clover (Trifolium pratense), alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and root and basal stem rot of soybean (Glycine max). Since insufficient spores are produced for large scale pathogenicity tests on natural media sterilized with propylene oxide, ethylene oxide or gamma irradiation, screening of forage legume germplasm for resistance to M. terrestris has been performed by inoculating plants with a mycelial slurry. However, the amount of inoculum applied cannot be quantified using the mycelial slurry method. We have developed a sporulation procedure for M. terrestris on corn meal agar (CMA) and the number of spores produced was adequate for experimentation. Precise quantification of inoculum should result in more accurate and repeatable characterization of resistance to M. terrestris among populations of forage legumes. Preliminary tests have shown spores to be capable of causing foliar infection of red clover and soybean. Sporulation on CMA also serves as an accurate method to identify isolates of M. terrestris in culture.