Developing tests to determine viability of <i>Ciborinia camelliae</i> (Kohn) sclerotia

Abstract

Two methods were developed to assess the viability of Ciborinia camelliae (Kohn) sclerotia for subsequent use in assays of sclerotial parasitisation In the first method external contaminants were removed by washing the sclerotia twice in 135 NaOCl and soaking them in antibiotics Bisected sclerotia grown on potato dextrose agar for 9 days at 20C produced identifiable colonies of C camelliae In the second method sclerotial softness which is proposed as an indicator of decay was measured The compression energy required to push a 276 mm diameter penetrometer with a force of 40 N into a healthy sclerotium gave an indication of sclerotial softness