USE OF A NOVEL SPORULATION MONITOR TO QUANTIFY THE EFFECTS OF FORMULATION AND STORAGE ON CONIDIATION BY DRIED MYCELIA OF THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS ZOOPHTHORA RADICANS

A novel piece of equipment, the sporulation monitor, is described for the comparison of conidia production from mycelia receiving different formulation and storage treatments. This equipment was used to compare the viability of Zoophthora radicans mycelial samples treated either with 10% maltose solution or with distilled water before drying and st orage for 0-12 weeks at 4 degrees C. Freshly dried maltose-treated myc elial mat samples produced significantly more conidia for a significan tly longer time than distilled water-treated mat samples of the same a ge. Very few conidia were produced from mats in either treatment after storage for 4 weeks or longer. There were great differences in conidi a production from mycelial mat samples produced in different fermenter runs. These results are discussed in relation to the potential for th e use of dried mycelia in biological control programmes.