Viable Storage of Botrytis Conidia and Sclerotia.

Long-term storage of microorganisms is essential for maintaining a consistent laboratory strain collection. To prevent a reduction in viability of Botrytis stocks, we can make use of the naturally formed survival structures of this fungus, conidiospores and sclerotia. Conidiospore stocks are the preferred method of storage and can be stored in 20% glycerol at -80°C for up to 30 years. When conidiospore storage is not feasible, sclerotia can be stored at 0°C, and agar plugs containing mycelium can be stored at 4°C. Sclerotia and mycelium stocks will only last several years and thus require more frequent propagation.