Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 27 (4) December 2015, p. 326-338

EVALUATION ON THE CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITIES OF Cladobotryum semicirculare AGAINST Ganoderma boninense in vitro

NURUL FADHILAH MARZUKI*; YIT KHENG GOH*; HUN JIAT TUNG**; YOU KENG GOH* and KAH JOO GOH*

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this preliminary study were to identify the Cladobotryum-like isolate and assess the antagonistic activity of this fungus against G. boninense and other fungal pathogens. Based on both morphological and molecular approaches, the unknown fungus was later described as Cladobotryum semicirculare. Under dual-culture assays, Cladobotryum semicirculare was observed to suppress radial mycelial growth of all the tested fungi with G. lucidum and G. boninense G37’s growth being
inhibited the most, 74.8% and 74.7%, respectively. Clonostachys sp. inhibited the least (12.7%). Through poison agar test, filtrates from C. semicirculare at 50% concentration were observed to suppress the mycelial growth of G. boninense G14 (35% inhibition) and G. lucidum (25% suppression), and with 100% filtrate concentration both Ganoderma species were showing more than 49% inhibition. Growth
of all tested Ganoderma isolates and C. semicirculare, was faster under aerobic (2.2 to 3.8 mm per day for Ganoderma isolates and 4.3 mm for Cladobotryum) compared to anaerobic (1.6 to 2.2 mm per day for Ganoderma isolates and 1.4 mm per day for Cladobotryum) condition. In vitro mycoparasitism test confirmed that C. semicirculare reduced the re-isolation of G. lucidum (33.3%) and G. boninense (66.7%) mycelia. This study also provided the first report of G. boninense as the host for C. semicirculare.

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* Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn Bhd, 11 Jalan Teknologi 3/6, Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: gohykheng@aarsb.com.my

** Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn Bhd (AAR), University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC), Biotechnology Research Centre, Jalan Broga 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.