The antagonistic properties of Trichoderma spp. inhabiting woods for potential biological control of wood-damaging fungi

Abstract

Abstract The antagonistic potential of Trichoderma spp. for biological control of wood-damaging fungi was investigated in the present paper. In vitro assays to investigate antifungal characteristics of Trichoderma spp. were conducted with various wood-damaging fungi. Exo-chitinase activity of the isolates was also measured. Three typical wood decayers and three sap-stainers served as target fungi. The antagonistic abilities of each Trichoderma species differed markedly according to the target fungus. The growth inhibition rates shown by the non-volatile metabolites against the wood decayers reached 100% for Trichoderma harzianum KUC1459. The antibiotics produced by Trichoderma dorotheae KUC5027, a recently reported species of Trichoderma, revealed strong antagonistic effects against sap-stainers. Trichoderma gamsii KUC1747 effectively inhibited the growth of all wood-damaging fungi in dual culture tests. The exo-chitinases of Trichoderma longibrachiatum KUC1540, Trichoderma aureoviride KUC1335, and T. harzianum KUC1459 showed significantly high activity.