A METHOD UTILIZING MYCELIAL FRAGMENTS TO ESTIMATE THE RELATIVE BIOMASS DENSITIES OF FUNGAL SPECIES IN MIXED CULTURE

A method for determining the relative biomass densities of two fungal species, Trichoderma harzianum and Fusarium culmorum, in mixed culture s, based on fragmentation of their mycelia is described. The mycelia w ere fragmented using a laboratory blender under standardised condition s. The mycelial fragments were plated onto a medium containing the par amorphogen, sodium deoxycholate, to inhibit colony extension, and smal l colonies were produced which could be distinguished and enumerated o n the basis of their mature characteristics, principally the productio n of different pigments. A linear relationship between the number of f ungal colonies produced and the biomass dry weight was observed. The m ethod has potential applications for studying a wide range of fungal i nteractions, notably those which occur in plant-associated and soil ec osystems where the vegetative mycelium contributes the majority of the significant biomass present.