FACTORS AFFECTING GERMINATION AND THE MODE OF GERMINATION OF ZYGOSPORES OF CHOANEPHORA-CUCURBITARUM

Treatment of zygospores of Choanephora cucurbitarum with KMnO4, NaClO or H2O2 effectively activated the spores and induced their germination . The optimum concentration of KMnO, for activation of zygospores vv a s 0.25 to 0.5%. Zygospores were not able to germinate in darkness even after activation by KMnO4. When zygospores from 40 to 50-day-old cult ures were treated with 0.5% KMnO4 solution for 60 min before incubatio n on water agar at 24% under light, about 50% germinated in 10 days. K MnO4 treatment killed more than 99% of residual mycelial fragments, sp orangiospores and sporangiola in the zygospore suspension. During germ ination disappearance of oil droplets in zygospores occurred prior to the cracking on zygospore wall. Both sporangial germination and myceli al germination were found. Moreover, sporangiole germination was obser ved for the first time.