N. Smits et al., INACTIVATION OF PAECILOMYCES-FUMOSOROSEUS-CONIDIA BY DIFFUSE AND TOTAL SOLAR-RADIATION, FEMS microbiology, ecology, 21(3), 1996, pp. 167-173
The detrimental photic effects of natural solar radiation on the conid
ial persistence of the entomopathogenic hyphomycete Paecilomyces fumos
oroseus were investigated by exposing quiescent conidia either to tota
l solar radiation or to its diffuse component. A given amount of UVB d
iffuse radiation was found to be as detrimental, and sometimes twice a
s detrimental, as the same amount of total solar radiation. The variab
ility in quantity and spectral distribution of the diffuse component o
f UVB solar radiation reaching the earth's surface, observed through s
pectral measurements, may be responsible for the difference in biologi
cal effects.