Abstract
The effect ofStachybotrys atra on fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria was studied in agar culture. Of the 27 genera and 52 species of fungi, 6 species of actinomycetes and 5 genera and 10 species of bacteria tested,S. atra was found to inhibit 95.7 % fungi, all the actinomycetes and 83.3 % of bacteria.Aspergillus ustus, 2 unidentified species ofFusarium, Rhizobium trifolii andPseudomonas spp. were however not inhibited. In experiments in soil,S. atra inhibited the growth ofTrichoderma viride. S atra was ineffective whereT. viride andS. atra were inoculated simultaneously or whereT. viride was added 7 days earlier. Besides,S. atra was not found to controlMacrophomina phaseoli infection on cotton. Soil culture ofS. atra showed phytotoxic effect on cotton seedlings.S. atra produced a dark brown to black thermostable toxic metabolite in the medium. The culture filtrate retarded the growth ofM. phaseoli in agar culture. Despite the importance ofS. atra as a fungistatic agent with wide antimicrobial spectrum, the use ofS. atra as a protectant against plant pathogens seems to be limited because of its phytotoxicity on cotton.
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Butt, Z.L., Ghaffar, A. Inhibition of fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria by Stachybotrys atra. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata 47, 241–251 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02051662
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02051662