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Computer Graphics Simulation of Growth and Sporulation of Erysiphe polygoni. J. A. Quinn, Plant Pathologist, Rohm and Hass Co., Spring House, PA 19477; T. T. Fujimoto, research Fellow, Rohm and Hass Co., Spring House, PA 19477. Phytopathology 76:883-888. Accepted for publication 22 January 1986. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-76-883.

Growth and sporulation of Erysiphe polygoni was observed and photographed for 7 days. The fungus was grown in a constant-temperature room with a 16-hr day at 22 C and 8-hr night at 19 C. Experimentally obtained values were the period between formation of a hyphal segment and branching of that segment (about 24 hr), mean hyphal length supporting one branch (162 μm, formed in 12 hr), the number of germ tubes formed over time (represented by a logarithmic expression or by experimental data), the period between formation of the hyphal segment and onset of sporulation (72 hr), the number of conidiophores per 162-μm segment after the 72-hr period (0.7), and the mean branching angle (44.8º). A computer graphics simulation of colony growth and sporulation was developed using these values as parameters. High correlations were obtained between the number of hyphae and conidia formed in vivo and in the graphics simulation. The graphics program appears to be a fairly realistic representation of colony formation of E. polygoni.