Selection of Culture Media and Monokaryotic Isolates of Pleurotus flabellatus and P. sajor-caju for their Dikaryotization Followed by Performance Testing of Dikaryotic Isolates on Malt Extract Agar Medium

Aims: The study was to find out the suitable agar medium and the selection of monokaryotic islates of P. flabellatus and P. sajor-caju for its dikaryotization with the help of rapidity in the growth performance.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Plant Pathology Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India during the academic year of 2014-2016.

Methodology: Fifteen and Five monokaryotic isolates of Pleurotus flabellatus (PFm) and P. sajor-caju (PSCm) were grown on five different culture media viz., Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Czapek Dox Agar (CDA), Oat Meal Agar (OMA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA), V8 Juice Agar (V8JA) for testing their rapidity in radial growth. After the selection of culture medium and monokaryotic isolates growth performance was again conducted for the selection of dikaryotic culture on MEA.

Results: MEA was found most suitable for rapid radial growth of monokaryotic isolates viz., PF9m, PF10m, PF11m, PF1m and PSC1m and was finally selected for dikaryotization (hybridization). Highest growth on MEA was observed in interspecific hybrids of PF×PS7 (16.40 mm/day) followed by PF×PS17 (16.29 mm/day), PF×PS19 (16.18 mm/day) and PF×PS13 (16.01 mm/day) respectively. Intra specific hybrids of PF×PF27, PF×PF10, PF×PF33, PF×PF24, PF×PF5, PF×PF25, PF×PF4, PF×PF12, PF×PF1, PF×PF26 and PF×PF13 shows the highest growth rate above 16 mm/day.

Conclusion: Dikaryotic mycelium showed the highest growth rate of above 16 mm/day as compare to monokaryotic isolates of P. flabellatus and P. sajor-caju.