ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

5.8.1 INTRODMTION
5,11 VAIMING TECHNIQXrZ
Washing techniques have been used on soil
(Parkinson and
Williams 1961, tiering 1966, Bisset and Widden 1972), leAves (SLtzaonds
1930)9 pine necdles (Kendrick 1958) and roots Olarley and Waid 1955,
Waid 1957t Warcup 1960)9 in order to wash off contaminating spores and
to facilitate the isolation of active mycelia.
A washing apparatus was designed and used an the foodstore and
fungus comb to see if spores could be washed from these materials,
thu. % supporting the idea that the fungi other than Termit2Mcos ara
present as spores and not an actively growing myceliume It was also
thought. that washing the material might facilitate the isolation of
Tormitm3ypese
Me princiTutl aim was to remove most of the fungal spores by
vigorous serial washings, leaving the mycelium attached to the washed
material* This allows organiwm present as mycelium to be more easily
Isolated by reducing the competition from heavily sporing fungi.
5.0.2 tonIODS
Apparatuisit- The apparatus used to wash the foodistore and fungus
comb in shown in Fig. 5o3ol* The urashing in carried out In a 100 =1
Quickfit dropping funnelq containing a mesh. This is filled from a
500 ml flask of sterile water* and in emptied into another 500 ml
flask connected by Quickfit adaptorso The connection to the filter
pump enables water to be drawn Into the funnel, and air to be drawn
in to agitate the matorialo All Joint* are sealed with vaseline to
prevent air leAking In.
G8.