The Effects of Photoperiod and Coconut Milk on the Growth of Embryos of Tapinanthus bangwensis in Culture

Abstract

The growth response of Tapinanthus bangwensis (Engler and K. Krause) Danser to photoperiodic treatment varies not only with the photoperiod but also with the composition of the culture medium. By and large, the parasite seems highly tolerant to a wide range of photoperiods. Nevertheless, consistent and significant promotary effects were only observed under a 12-h photoperiod. All other photoperiods (16 h, 8 h, and diffuse daylight) had either promotary or inhibitory effects on different aspects of the parasite's growth. The over-all pattern of growth, however, was the same in all cases. Various concentrations of coconut milk were found to exert different effects on the growth of the parasite, but all the concentrations used supported less growth than the basal medium alone.