Quantification of mycoparasitism by the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora on Rhizoctonia solani and the influence of nutrient levels

Abstract

The influence of nutrient level, type of carbon source and nitrogen concentration on the parasitism of Arthrobotrys oligospora on Rhizoctonia solani were investigated by quantification of coiling frequency. Changes in coiling frequency were also compared with changes in hyphal density and colony radial growth rate. Increasing concentrations of corn meal agar gave increasing coiling frequency up to a concentration of half the recomended strength. At higher concentrations the coiling frequency was constant, although the hyphal density of both fungi increased over the whole concentration range. Coiling frequency was positively correlated with the probability of hyphal encounter, calculated as the product of the hyphal densities of the two fungi, except at high CMA concentrations. Amongst several carbohydrates tested, glucose resulted in the highest, and sucrose the lowest, coiling frequency. The effect of the different carbohydrates on coiling frequency was not correlated with the hyphal densities of the fungi. Addition of a nitrogen source, NaNO 3, removed the differences in coiling frequency between glucose and sucrose and increased coiling frequencies on both sugars.