The main objective of this research was to investigate the ability of a Trichoderma sp. (Td22), inhibitory to Sclerotinia minor Jagger, to grow and survive in mature wood fibre waste (WFW) compost of paper mill or...The main objective of this research was to investigate the ability of a Trichoderma sp. (Td22), inhibitory to Sclerotinia minor Jagger, to grow and survive in mature wood fibre waste (WFW) compost of paper mill origin following nutrient amendment. The growth and survival of the fungus in the WFW compost was assessed by serial dilution plate count method followed by confirmation of the fungal identity using pectic enzyme analysis as described in Cruickshank and Pitt [1]. It was found in this study that the population densities of TdE2 achieved under non-sterile conditions in the WFW compost following nutrient amendment was approximately in the range of 7.0 lOgl0 CFU/g dw - 8.5 log10 CFU/g dw after 28 days, depending on pre-treatment. The efficacy of this WFW compost-grown TdE2 for protection of lettuce from attack by S. minor was also demonstrated in glasshouse trials. This study indicates that cellulosic paper mill waste compost could provide an abundant low-cost growth medium for the large-scale cultivation of fungal antagonists, improving prospects for cost-competitiveness with chemical treatments.展开更多
文摘The main objective of this research was to investigate the ability of a Trichoderma sp. (Td22), inhibitory to Sclerotinia minor Jagger, to grow and survive in mature wood fibre waste (WFW) compost of paper mill origin following nutrient amendment. The growth and survival of the fungus in the WFW compost was assessed by serial dilution plate count method followed by confirmation of the fungal identity using pectic enzyme analysis as described in Cruickshank and Pitt [1]. It was found in this study that the population densities of TdE2 achieved under non-sterile conditions in the WFW compost following nutrient amendment was approximately in the range of 7.0 lOgl0 CFU/g dw - 8.5 log10 CFU/g dw after 28 days, depending on pre-treatment. The efficacy of this WFW compost-grown TdE2 for protection of lettuce from attack by S. minor was also demonstrated in glasshouse trials. This study indicates that cellulosic paper mill waste compost could provide an abundant low-cost growth medium for the large-scale cultivation of fungal antagonists, improving prospects for cost-competitiveness with chemical treatments.