Viability of Pestalotiopsis Isolates Using Different Storage Techniques

• Main Author: Noor Shakirah Husna, Binti Ramly
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2009
• Subjects: S Agriculture (General); SB Plant culture
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/27632/2/Noor%20Shakirah%20Husna.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/27632/

Viability of Pestalotiopsis isolates using different storage techniques was studied. Three isolates of Pestaiotiopsis isolated from banana leaf, mango leaf and coconut leaf were used. Each isolates was grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The fungi were stored using different techniques, at different temperatures and for different storage periods. The techniques used were oil overlay, immersion in distilled water, freezing, immersion in sucrose and lactose, and agar strip. The temperature used in this study were 25°C, 15°C, 4°C, -4°C, _8°C, -20°C, and -80°C. All the stored fungi isolates were tested for their viability by mycelia growth and spore germination whenever available. The mycelia growth was observed by colour and structure of mycelia while the diameter of mycelia on PDA media was measured and recorded. The growth rates of the Pestalotiopsis isolates were reduced as the storage periods increased at all temperature when observed after 2 weeks and after 12 weeks of storage. The Pestalotiopsis isolates showed abundant mycelia and good sporulation after 2 weeks and moderately abundant and sparsely sporulation when stored after 6 weeks or longer at aU temperature.