VIEW ARTICLE

The Nature of a Volatile Inhibitor from Certain Alkaline Soils. W. H. Ko, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Hilo 96720; Frances K. Hora, Technician, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Hilo 96720. Phytopathology 62:573-575. Accepted for publication 31 December 1971. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-62-573.

A volatile fungistatic substance released from remoistened, air-dried alkaline soils was inhibitory to conidia of fungi as well as to ascospores of Neurospora tetrasperma which are not sensitive to widespread soil fungistasis. The volatile inhibitor existed in autoclaved and gas-sterilized soils, but disappeared when soil was treated with HCl. Its inhibitory effect also was not affected by addition of nutrients. Therefore, the nature of the volatile inhibitor in certain alkaline soils is different from that of widespread soil fungistasis.