EFFECTIVENESS OF CULTURAL PARAMETERS ON THE GROWTH AND SPORULATION OF COLLETOTRICHUM GLOEOSPORIOIDES CAUSING ANTHRACNOSE DISEASE OF MANGO (MANGIFERA INDICA L.)

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causing anthracnose which is a serious post harvest disease in mango accounting for 15-20% loss.The variation in nutritional and physiological characteristics among five isolates of C. gloeosporioides collected from different agro-climatic regions of India was investigated.All the isolates showed differential response in requirements of media, temperature and media pH for growth and sporulation.Malt Extract Agar (MEA) medium was best suited for growth in terms of radial mycelial diameter for all the isolates.Among the studied isolates, Cg 72 (from Maharashtra) showed more virulence and maximum sporulation (137.5×10 3 mL -1 ) at 28°C and media pH 6. Maximum growth and virulence at 28°C was observed with Cg 62 isolate.Media of pH 6 was found to be most suitable for the growth of respective isolates (s), but Cg 62 which was collected from Bihar found most virulent in this experiment.