Variability in thermal responses among Furia gastropachae isolates from different geographic origins

The effect of temperature ranging from 5-30 °C on in vitro vegetative growth and conidial germination of isolates of the entomophthoralean fungus Furia gastropachae was investigated. Eleven isolates were used for growth studies; two from Maryland, six from New York, and three from Ontario. A subset of four isolates, one each from Maryland and New York and two from Ontario, were used in conidial germination experiments. Growth and germination were significantly associated with temperature for all isolates, occurring throughout the range 5-30 °C, though both processes were inhibited to varying degrees at upper and lower extremes. Temperature optima for growth ranged from 20 to 27 °C, and for germination from 20 to 25 °C. Although significant variability was observed among isolates in growth at temperatures above 13 °C, temperature optima were not significantly different among isolates, and variability did not appear to relate to the geoclimatic origins of the isolates. In contrast, germination responses to temperature did appear to be related to geographic origin. Furia gastropachae isolates from New York and Maryland germinated more slowly at 10 °C than did Ontario isolates, although the percentage of conidia ultimately germinating at each temperature was the same for all isolates. The New York and Maryland isolates performed much better at 30 °C, with significantly greater overall germination and secondary conidial discharge, than the Ontario isolates. Compared with other isolates at 30 °C, Ontario isolates were the least active, often failing to successfully discharge any secondary conidia.