CONSERVATION OF CEREALFUNGI FOLLOWING DIFFERENT METHODS OF PRESERVATION FOR LONG TERMS

Abstract

Preservation of soil- and air-borne phytopathogenic fungi for extent durations of time is crucial so that analyses can be followed up any moment. The goal of the present research was to analyze storage methodologies in maintaining field isolates of Fusarium head blight (FHB), spot blotch (SB) and common root rot (CRR) diseases. Cereal fungal isolates were stored at four independent storage experiments (1) filter paper disks carrying fungal mycelium at 4°C, (2) fungal suspension at ambient temperature, (3) fungal suspension at 4°C and (4) mycelial cultures on Petri-dishes with potato dextrose agar by freezing at -16°C. The survival, absence of microbial contamination and morphological constancy of cultures were tested in periods ranging from 1 to 60 months. The isolates were recovered from the four preservation treatments having +% survival and maintaining their purity and morphological stability at each time point. Neither used storage technique, time in storage nor taxonomic classification was associated with a lack of viability, microbial contamination or morphology alternation. As far as we know, the present work is the first report highlighting the possibility of conservation for FHB, SB and CRR causal agents using filter paper disks stored in cold water for three years, fungal suspension at ambient temperature for 3 years, fungal suspension at 4°C in cold water and mycelial cultures by freezing for 5 years.