Isolation of Ceratocystis fagacearum from Diseased Live Oak in Texas
Abstract
Five media were compared for their efficiency in isolation of Ceratocystis fagacearum, the oak wilt fungus. The efficiency of bole and branch samples was also compared. Potato dextrose agar amended with streptomycin was found to be both efficient and relatively inexpensive when compared to Barnett's medium, which is used most often in isolation of this pathogen. Bole samples were found to be more efficient than branch samples. It is recommended that streptomycin PDA and bole samples be used in the isolation of C. fagacearum to improve cost and time efficiency.
C. fagacearum colonized the bole, branches, and roots of inoculated live oak seedlings in just 4 weeks. Attempts were made to quantify the fungus in those seedlings and in naturally colonized trees with suspensions of ground wood tissue. A spermatization technique was also tested to detect the fungus in the wood. Neither attempt was successful. The grinding process, incorporating a Wiley mill, was difficult to keep sterile, resulting in competition by other organisms. It is also possible the fungal conidia were destroyed during the grinding process.
Description
Program year: 1983-1984Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Subject
Ceratocystis fagacearumoak wilt fungus
potato dextrose agar
streptomycin
fungus colonization
Citation
Steele, Janet E. (1984). Isolation of Ceratocystis fagacearum from Diseased Live Oak in Texas. University Undergraduate Fellows. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -SteeleJ _1984.