Thermal requirements for the development of the nematogenic fungi Paecilomyces lilacinus

Abstract

The fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom.) Samson was inoculated and cultured on potato dextrose agar medium at eleven different temperature levels, ranging from 5°C to 35°C for eight days. The technique used to evaluate the growth performance of the fungus colony on the surface medium was the radial surface growth. The temperatures 5°C and 35°C proved to be biostatic, and the temperatures of 24°C and 25°C were considered as optimum for maximum fungus growth, since they did not differ significantly (P=0,05). Lower temperature threshold of development, 10,9°C, was estimated by using linear regression; hence lower temperatures were considered to be more suitable for storage of P. lilacinus.