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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313750
Title: Liquid culture production of fungal microsclerotia

Author
item Jackson, Mark
item Payne, Angela

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/2015
Publication Date: 8/27/2016
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5695396
Citation: Jackson, M.A. and Payne, A.R. 2016. Liquid culture production of fungal microsclerotia. In: Glare, T.R and Moran-Diez, M.E., editors. Microbial-Based Biopesticides: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology. New York, NY: Springer Science Business Media. p.71-83.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fungal microsclerotia (“small” sclerotia) are compact hyphal aggregates, typically 50-600 µm in diameter, that are formed under unfavorable nutritional and/or environmental conditions. These structures are often melanized and desiccated to some degree containing endogenous nutritional reserves for use when favorable conditions return. Many fungi, mostly plant pathogens, produce microsclerotia as a survival structure. Liquid culture methods have been developed for producing microsclerotia of the Ascomycota Metarhizium spp, Colletotrichum truncatum, Mycoleptodiscus terrestris, and Trichoderma spp. While these fungi have varying culture conditions that optimize microsclerotia production, all share common nutritional and environmental requirements for microsclerotia formation. Described are the general liquid culture techniques, media components, and harvesting and drying methods necessary to produce stable microsclerotial granules of these fungi.