ENHANCEMENT OF TELIOSPORE GERMINATION IN WHEAT-INFECTING AND WILD GRASS-INFECTING SPECIES OF TILLETIA ON ACTIVATED-CHARCOAL MEDIUM

The effect of activated charcoal as an amendment to water agar medium on teliospore germination was analyzed for two species of wheat-infect ing bunts, Tilletia controversa and T. tritici, and two related wild-g rass infecting species, T. bromi and I fusca. Final percentages of tel iospore germination, area under the germination progress curves (AUGPC ), and a standardized AUGPC (SAUGPC) on carbon a,oar and water agar we re compared among strains. Carbon agar (CA) significantly increased th e final germination percentage of teliospores, AUGPC, and SAUGPC when compared with water agar (WA) for all taxa under study. Additionally, CA reduced significantly the incubation (i.e., lag) period when compar ed with WA for teliospores of I: bromi, I controversa, and T. fusca. B ovine serum albumin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone were used as alternative chemical adsorbent amendments to WA to establish the role of activate d charcoal in the medium. Only media amended with bovine serum albumin and activated charcoal improved the final germination percentage of a ll taxa. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone was not significantly better than water agar.