solation and screening the bacteria for antifungal activity. Soil samples with inhibitory activity toward the growth of A. niger in initial screening were streaked onto GY agar and incubated at 28°C until bacterial colonies developed. Individual colonies were inoculated onto GY agar and they were screened for antifungal activity as described above. Pure cultures of bacterial isolates that showed antagonistic effects on A. niger were further tested for antifungal activity against selected fungi by visual agar plate assay according to Hua et al. with some modifications (10). An amount of 10 µl of fungal spore suspension (200 cells/µl) from each fungus was inoculated on GY agar plates in a single streak down the middle of plate. A single streak of each selected bacterium with antifungal activity grown overnight in Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA; Difco, Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ) at 28°C was suspended in 2.0 ml sterile distilled water to obtain a density equal to 0.5× McFarland. Ten µl of each bacterial suspension was inoculated in peripheral lines in distance of 1.5 cm from central line by tooth pick. Triplicate plates were incubated at 28°C for 7 days in static condition. Antifungal activity was assessed by comparing the zone of fungal growth inhibition in fungi co-cultured with bacteria as tests, in comparison with control plates which were inoculated only with corresponding fungi.