Control of wood decay by Trichoderma (Gliocladium virens. I, Antagonistic properties

Abstract

Antagonistic characteristics of a commercial biofungicide, Trichoderma (Gliocladiurn) virens (GL-21, W. R. Grace and Co., CT), were evaluated against three white-rot fungi, Trametes versicolor, Phlebia brevispora, Irpex lacteus, and three brown-rot fungi, Postia placenta, Neolentinus lepideus, and Gloeophyllum trabeum. In dual cultures of T. virens and wood decay fungi, T, virens rapidly overgrew and killed the decay fungi. Pretreatment of Southern Pine and maple blocks with T. virens prevented weight loss by all decay fungi in the soil-block tests. T. virens colonized blocks, treated with propylene oxide to kill the antagonist, were not decay resistant. Filter-sterilized filtrates from T. virens showed fungistatic effect against the decay fungi in agar medium. However, weight loss in wood blocks treated with filter-sterilized filtrates of T. virens was only slightly reduced when exposed to decay fungi in soil-block tests. Thus, T. virens must be alive to prevent wood decay.

Citation

Highley, T. L. 1997. Control of wood decay by Trichoderma (Gliocladium virens. I, Antagonistic properties. Material und organismen. Vol. 31, no. 2 (1997).:p. 79-89.