EFFECT OF PHENOL ON THE MYCELIAL GROWTH AND FRUCTIFICATION IN SOME OFBASIDIOMYCETOUS FUNGI

Cometabolic growth studies with phenol were undertaken to screen 32 st rains of white and brown rot fungi. All the cultures studied grew well up to 4 mM of phenol on CZAPEKDOX agar except Agaricus bisporus (whit e button mushroom) and Pleurotus cystidiosus. Most of them could grow even up to 6 mM of phenol. Phenol induced a brown pigmentation of the culture medium. P. flabellatus and P. pulmonarius metabolized 67 and 6 4 mg/l phenol in 10 days. Studies have indicated that phenol (0.1 to 1 .0 mM) incorporated in malt-extract agar has no inhibitory effect on f ruitbody formation. Preliminary studies indicate that soaking of wheat straw with phenol solution up to 1600 mg/l give better mycelial growt h and fructification of P. cornucopiae, P. ostreatus Z-15 and Calocybe indica than water soaked. Soaking of wheat straw in phenol inhibited the growth of common competitor weed fungi-like Stachybotrys sp. and C oprinus sp.