Effective homemade V8 juice formulation as alternative suitable medium for culturing Phytophthora infestans

Abstract

A suitable growth medium is essential for isolating, studying, and managing pathogens. To mitigate the importation dependence and availability of commercial V8 growth medium, three V8 juice formulations (F1, F2, and F3) were developed and tested in this study for their potential to stimulate the growth and sporulation of Phytophthora infestans at different growing temperatures in comparison with commercial V8 juice formulation. The results showed that the three V8 juice forms successfully induced the growth and sporulation of P. infestans at varied temperature regimes. However, V8 juice F2-based medium significantly caused quicker growth of P. infestans and increased in number and size of sporangia as well as the commercial formulation (FC) of V8 juice. In addition, the pathogen successfully grew at 15 ± 2 °C, 20 ± 2 °C, and 25 ± 2 °C; however, the plates incubated at 20 ± 2 °C displayed faster growth of the colony as compared to those incubated at the other two temperatures. Furthermore, more spores were obtained on the plates incubated at 15 ± 2 °C compared to the plates incubated at 20 ± 2 °C and 25 ± 2 °C. Overall, the V8 F2-based media was more suitable for P. infestans growth and sporulation. This finding is critical since it helps to lessen reliance on V8 juice imports and increases available V8 juice to culture or mass produce the pathogen. Consequently, further research is encouraged for sustainable management of P. infestans.

HIGHLIGHTS • Homemade V8 alternative formulations support P. infestans growth and sporulation. • However, F2 formulation performs similarly to the commercial with quicker growth and increased number and size of sporangia. • The pathogen grew best at 20 °C, but produced more spores at 15 °C. • Local V8 alternatives can minimize dependency on imports and support future research on managing the pathogen.