VORRICHTUNG UND METHODE ZUR ZÜCHTUNG VON NEMATODEN, PILZEN, GEWEBEKULTUREN UND DERGLEICHEN UND UM NEMATODEN ZU GEWINNEN

摘要

Entomopathogenic nematodes are cultured in a culture vessel comprising a tray (10) with side walls (12) and an overlapping lid (11), also with side walls (13). A gasket (14) of polyether polyurethane foam is positioned around the inside edge of the lid. In the preferred vessel, stop members (16), mounted on the inside faces of the walls of the tray, prevent forced movement of the lid towards the tray when flanges (15) on the lid bear against the stop members. Such an arrangement enables the culture vessels to be stacked on each other without over-compression of the foam gasket. A method of rearing juvenile (J3 stage) nematodes using such a culture vessel, which involves inoculating the contents of the culture vessel with monoxenic suspension of nematodes, is also disclosed. A method and apparatus for harvesting nematodes, a vessel for incubating nematodes for use as an inoculum, and a method of separating J3 stage and adult nematodes are also described. The culture vessel can also be used to culture fungi, protozoa, bacteria and tissue cultures.