NUTRITIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITIES OF A STERILE RED FUNGUS WHICH PROMOTES PLANT-GROWTH AND SUPPRESSES TAKE-ALL

The nutritional behaviour of a 'Sterile Red Fungus' (SRF) was studied with a view to the development of efficient field delivery systems for its use in plant growth promotion and disease protection. The vegetat ive cells of the fungus are binucleate with occasional presence of tri nucleate terminal cells. Responses to 28 biochemical tests and 19 diff erent carbon sources were determined to detect the enzymatic activitie s and preferred carbon source utilization for growth. Pectic enzyme pa tterns and manganese oxidation/reduction abilities of the SRF were als o investigated. The SRF was found to have a wide range of enzymatic ac tivity. It produced cellulase, esterase, ligninase, peroxidase, acid p hosphatase, phenoloxidase and pectinase and required thiamine (0.6 mu g l(-1)) for growth. With the exception of chitin, lactose, dulcitol a nd L-arabinose it utilized all the carbon sources tested. It oxidized and reduced manganese and its isoenzyme pattern is characterized by di stinct bands of esterase and polygalacturonase.