Morphological Characterization of Corynespora cassiicola Isolates in Culture Media

Corynespora cassiicola threatens soybean and cotton production in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate cultural and morphological aspects of C. cassiicola isolated from soybean and cotton of different Brazilian regions, in culture media. The isolates were grown in PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar) and V8 juice agar media. The characteristics evaluated were: color, aspect, and growth rate of mycelia, as well as production and dimension of conidia, and number of septa per conidium. Culture media and isolates were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis or Tukey’s test at 5% significance level. The mycelia of the isolates were predominantly dark gray and light brown. C. cassiicola isolates grew better in V8 juice agar medium, presenting a higher mycelial growth rate. In PDA medium, the production of conidia was higher in isolates from cotton, compared with soybean isolates. There was great variation in the production of conidia in V8 juice agar medium, regardless of the host origin. Conidia length and width varied for isolate and culture medium. The isolates of C. cassiicola coming from cotton presented a higher number of septa per conidium when grown in PDA medium. The morphological aspects of C. cassiicola vary depending on the host of origin and the culture medium.