The effects of culture media, solid substrates, and relative humidity on growth, sporulation and conidial discharge of Valdensinia heterodoxa.

Valdensinia heterodoxa (Sclerotiniacae) is a potential fungal bioherbicide for control of salal (Gaultheria shallon). The effect of culture media, substrates and relative humidity (RH) on growth, sporulation and conidial discharge of V. heterodoxa was determined for two isolates PFC2761 and PFC3027 in vitro. Culture media significantly affected the growth, sporulation, and conidial discharge of V. heterodoxa. Of eight agar media used, colony radial growth was optimal on salal oatmeal agar and salal potato dextrose agar for isolates PFC2761 and PFC3027, respectively; whereas sporulation was at an optimum on salal oatmeal agar for both isolates. Of the eight liquid media tested, mycelial production was highest on wheat bran-salal-potato dextrose broth. Growth on solid substrates greatly stimulated sporulation and conidial discharge of V. heterodoxa. Of the 12 solid substrates used, the greatest numbers of discharged conidia were observed from wheat bran and wheat bran-salal within 14d of sporulation. Sporulation on solid substrates continued for 42d. RH significantly affected the sporulation and conidial discharge for both isolates across all solid substrates tested. No conidia were produced or discharged below 93 % RH on wheat bran-salal and millet. With an increase of the RH from 93 to 97 %, sporulation and the number of discharged conidia increased significantly for both isolates on wheat bran-salal, but not on millet.