Relevance of Mycoparasitism in the Biological Control ofRhizoctonia solanibyGliocladium virens

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Abstract
Conidia of two strains of Gliocladium virens that were strongly parasitic to Rhizoctonia solani were irradiated with ultraviolet light and screened for mycoparasitism in dual culture with R. solani. Three mutants that showed no mycoparasitic activity were isolated from each strain. The selected mutants retained the same antibiotic complement as the parent strains. Peat moss-Czapek''s broth cultures of parent and mutant strains had similar efficacy as biocontrol agents of cotton seedling disease induced by R. solani and as antagonists of sclerotia of R. solani in soil. These results indicate that mycoparasitism is not a major mechanism in the biological control of R. solani-incited seedling disease by G. virens.