Potential for biological protection against blue stain in Populustremuloides with a hyphomycetous fungus, Stachybotryscylindrospora

Interactions between a blue-stain fungus, Ophiostomacrassivaginatum (H.D. Griffin) T.C. Harrington, and a hyphomycetous fungus, Stachybotryscylindrospora C.N. Jensen, from Populustremuloides Michx. were studied. Stachybotryscylindrospora inhibited the in vitro growth of O. crassivaginatum when grown in dual culture. A culture filtrate of S. cylindrospora reduced the growth of O. crassivaginatum on both agar media and in liquid culture. Stachybotryscylindrospora, previously inoculated on P. tremuloides wood chips, prevented colonization of O. crassivaginatum on the same chips. Two known fungitoxic compounds, trichodermin and trichodermol, were isolated and identified from culture filtrates of S. cylindrospora. Both of these compounds significantly inhibited the growth of O. crassivaginatum in vitro. Stachybotryscylindrospora can be considered as a candidate for biological protection of wood chips and wood products of aspen from the stain-producing fungus, O. crassivaginatum.