Cultural and Physiological Characteristics of Pythium Species Causing Damping Off of Acid Lime

The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of culture media, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity on growth and development of Pythium deliense causing damping off of acid lime. A total of six solid culture media viz. Oat meal agar, Corn meal agar, Martin’s Rose Bengal agar, V8 juice agar, Malt extract agar and Potato Dextrose agar were tested for Pythium deliense growth, with Oatmeal agar, Corn meal agar and Martins Rose Bengal agar medium was found most promising (90.0 mm) whereas least radial growth was observed on Potato Dextrose agar (27.56 mm). Pythium growth varied among different media tested. The colonies were white colour, and evenly thick to sparse with floral pattern, produced the aseptate mycelium and globose shape sporangium. In regards of physiological studies, the growth differences seen in all temperatures and relative humidity level which statistically significant from each other. The results revealed that optimum growth of Pythium deliense was supportedby temperature of 25°C and >85% relative humidity.