Decomposition of cellulose by three pea pathogens in pure culture

Abstract

Ascochyta pisi (Lib.), Mycosphaerella pinodes (Berk. & Blox.) Vestergr., Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella (L. K. Jones) Boerema, which cause leafand pod spot, and foot rots of pea grow on filter paper as a sole carbon source in pure culture. Different isolates of the same pathogen utilized cellulose at different rates and decomposition was affected by the amount of nitrogen in the culture. These results have relevance to studies of the saprophytic survival of these organisms.