Producing Sclerotia on Plates

  1. Chop one baking potato (200 g) and autoclave for 30 min in a beaker in 600 mL of water.
  2. Blend or mash when cooled and pour puree into a 1 L flask, adjusting volume to 600 mL.
  3. Add 9 g agar, mix and reautoclave. Pour 6-7 plates (150×15).
  4. Inoculate in the middle of the plate, with one dry sclerotium. Incubate at room temperature.
  5. At three weeks, or when sclerotia are mature and before they start growing again, place plates, open, in a hood to dry.
  6. When agar is bone-dry (2-3 days), pick or shake sclerotia off. DO NOT WASH. Dry in a hood overnight and store at +4°C.

Updated 28 May 2007 by Jeffrey Rollins.

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