Characterization of aggregates produced by the potential mycoherbistat Plectosporium alismatis in submerged culture: germination, UV-radiation tolerance and infectivity

Plectosporium alismatis, a potential mycoherbistat of Alismatacae spp., has been previously shown to produce aggregates which contain chlamydospores in liquid culture. WeIn this study we evaluated the impact of medium composition on the formation and composition of aggregates. In shake flasks cultures using 5.74 gL-1 sodium nitrate, 8.8 gL-1 malt extract or glucose and 0.1% Tween 80, P. alismatis formed small, uniform (diameter of 75% aggregates <720µm), dense, melanised aggregates containing 104 conidia and 103 chlamydospores, these numbers remained unchanged during growth. One hundred percent of All 7-day-old aggregates exposed to desiccation or/ and UV-radiation germinated. In bioassays using leaf discs of Alisma plantago-aquatica, P. alismatis aggregates caused necrosis, regardless of whether aggregates had been exposed to desiccation and/or UV-radiations prior to application on leaf discs, whereas other propagules (103 propagules disc-1) exposed to drying and UV-radiation stress were unable to cause necrosis. This preliminary research shows the potential of aggregates to be used as part of a formulation of biocontrol agents, provided adequate conditions for optimal aggregate yields are found.