BAITING WITH SCLEROTIUM-ROLFSII FOR SELECTIVE ISOLATION OF GLIOCLADIUM-VIRENS FROM NATURAL SOIL

A bailing technique for selective isolation of Gliocladium virens from natural soil was developed by mixing Sclerotium rolfsii-colonized sor ghum grains with moist natural soil and incubating at 30 +/- 5-degrees -C for 6-10 days. G. virens developed large, distinct colonies on the soil surface by colonizing S. rolfsii and was then easily isolated for use in biocontrol programmes. Trichoderma spp. were present in the so il but never developed conspicuous colonies on the soil surface, even when the soil was supplemented with large numbers of conidia.