Screening of Suitable Culture Media for Growth, Cultural and Morphological Characters of Pycnidia Forming Fungi

Abstract

Different agar media, including natural, Oat Meal Agar (OMA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA), V8 Agar and Leaf extract agar of host plant, semi-synthetic media, Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), carrot dextrose agar (CaDA) and synthetic media, Czapex Dox Agar (CDA), Richards Synthetic Agar (RSA), Asthana and Hawkers Agar (AHA)) were used to observed the mycelial growth rate, cultural and morphological characters of four fungal isolates after seven days of incubation at 26±1°C. The colony character including diameter, culture characteristics (texture, surface and reverse colouration, zonation) and sporulation of selected test fungi were greatly influenced by the type of growth medium used. On comparative study of higher mycelial growth of the four test fungi, the best performance where observed in PDA as well as moderate to heavy sporulation on this culture medium. These results will find use in fungal taxonomic studies.