文摘
We investigated the potential production and desiccation tolerance of microsclerotia (MS) by Brazilian strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (Ma), M. acridum (Mc) and M. robertsii (Mr). These fungi were grown in a liquid medium containing 16?g carbon l? with a carbon:nitrogen ratio of 50:1. One hundred milliliters cultures were grown in 250?ml Erlenmeyer flasks in a rotary incubator shaker at 28?°C and 200?rpm for 5?days. Five-day-old MS were harvested, mixed with diatomaceous earth (DE) and air-dried for 2?days at 30?°C. The air-dried MS–DE granular preparations were milled by mortar?+?pestle and stored in centrifuged tubes at either 26 or ?0?°C. Desiccation tolerance and conidia production were assessed for dried MS granules by measuring hyphal germination after incubation for 2?days on water agar plates at 26?°C and for conidia production following 7?days incubation. Yields of MS by all strains of Metarhizium were 6.1-.3?×?106 l? after 3?days growth with maximum MS yields (0.7-.1?×?107 l?) after 5?days growth. No differences in biomass accumulation were observed after 3?days growth, whereas Ma-CG168 showed the highest biomass accumulation after 5?days growth. Dried MS–DE preparations of all fungal strains were equally tolerant to desiccation (?3?% germination) and the highest conidia production was obtained by MS granules of Mc-CG423 (4?×?109 conidia g?). All MS granules showed similar stability after storage at either 26 or ?0?°C for 3.5?months.