Number of phage virions produced overall in the course of phage population growth in association with solid or semi-solid media.
The productivity of plaque is a function of (i) the size of a plaque, (ii) the degree to which cells found within the borders of a plaque are successfully or productively infected, (iii) the burst size or average burst size of those cells that are productively infected, (iv) the degree to which free phages found within plaque boundaries are resistant to inactivation, (v) whether or not phages are found within infected cells at the point of determination of plaque productivity, and (vi) whether or not lyses is effected (e.g., artificial lysis) prior to the point of enumeration. See also plaque fecundity as well as plaque yield.
Note that plaque productivity can be selected for via serial transfer for plaque-associated phages, particularly given transfer of multiple plaques where, upon homogenization, it is those plaques that contribute the most virions that are best represented post transfer. For additional consideration of plaque productivity, see Gallet et al. (2011), Gallet et al. (2009), and Abedon and Culler (2007).
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