Nutritional and environmental factors affecting growth and sporulation of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum.

Three of five isolates of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, a mycoparasite of Sclerotinia spp., grew well on an agar medium containing mineral salts, glucose, thiamine, and glutamine or Casamino acids as the nitrogen source. The nitrogen requirement for two of the isolates was satisfied by NH4Cl, Casamino acids, or glutamine. Glutamine was the best single nitrogen source. Only one isolate, CS-1, was used in further nutritional studies. The optimum concentration of glutamine for growth was 5 g/L. Glucose, mannose, mannitol, and cellobiose were excellent carbon sources. A glucose concentration of 20 g/L was optimum. Mannitol supported greater growth than glucose with Casamino acids as the nitrogen source but glucose was the superior carbon source with glutamine as the nitrogen source. Greatest growth was achieved with a combination of these carbon and nitrogen sources. Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, isolate CS-1, required thiamine for growth and sporulation. Biotin stimulated growth. The fungus developed maximally within the range of pH 5.0-5.5 and growth was greatly reduced at a pH below 4.0 or above 6.0. Control of acidity by the periodic addition of NaOH solution permitted substantially increased growth. The optimum temperature for growth was 22.5-25.0 degrees C but production of macroconidia was greatest at 15-20 degrees C.