Antagonistic activity of selected macromycetes against two harmful micromycetes.

Competition between 31 macromycete species and two harmful micromycetes Aspergillus niger and Penicillium polonicum was evaluated using dual-culture plate assay. All investigated fungi, except for Inonotus obliquus and Lepista luscina, possessed different levels of antagonistic activity against the tested micromycetes. Hypsizygus marmoreus and Lyophyllum shimeji were inactive against A. niger. Morchella esculenta and Oxyporus obducens were passive in the case of co-growth with P. polonicum. The study of fungal interactions showed variability in types of reactions and level of their visualisation. Co-cultivation of the studied species resulted in the following reactions: deadlock after mycelial contact and at a distance, partial or complete replacement after initial deadlock on contact. In general, the studied macromycetes showed moderate activity against the two micromycetes, as 11 species showed active and 7 species moderate antagonism. Results revealed higher antagonistic activity of macromycetes against P. polonicum than in A. niger co-cultures. Wood-decaying species Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes versicolor were the most active fungi against the two tested micromycetes with a maximal antagonism index. These findings provide valuable insights which can be further explored by means of in vivo assays to find a suitable agent for the biocontrol of diseases or spoilage caused by A. niger and P. polonicum.