A Modified Cellulosic Medium for the Isolation of Cellulolytic Fungi from Infected Materials and Soils

Abstract

BECAUSE rich media such as potato-dextrose agar or Czapek agar give quick and luxuriant growth of the ‘sugar fungi’ which suppress the growth of the cellulolytic ones, cellulosic media are generally regarded more suitable for isolation of the latter. Following the methods of Hungate1, and of Hazra et al.2, Eggins and Pugh3 proposed a ball-milled cellulose medium for the isolation of cellulose-decomposing fungi from the soil. Chakravarty et al.4, in line with Fuller and Norman5, used a cellodextrin medium for isolating the causative cellulolytic fungi from infected jute and cotton materials. The cellodextrin was prepared by precipitating cellulose dissolved in 70 per cent sulphuric acid and dialysing the precipitate for 72 h, followed by centrifuging.