A relatively simple bioassay test system was devised that
allowed only for VOC’s from the fungus being the active
agents for any microbial inhibition being examined as
previously described [7]. Initially, a 2.5 cm wide strip of
agar was removed from the mid-portion of a standard PDAPetri
dish, then M. albus was inoculated and grown on one
I. Atmosukarto et al. / Plant Science 169 (2005) 854–861 855
side of the plate for varying time periods prior to testing. On
to the agar half moon strip on the opposite side of the plate
was placed the test fungus or bacterium. Individual fungi
were inoculated on the test side of the plate on a 3 mm3 plug
of agar. Bacteria and yeasts were simply streaked (1.5 cm
long) on to the PDA on the test side of the plate. The plate
was wrapped with two individual pieces of parafilm and
incubated at 23 8C. The growth of test organisms was
visually judged on the basis of any new microbial density
appearing on the area of the agar that had been inoculated.
Eventually, the linear growth of the filamentous fungi (as
measured from the edge of the agar inoculum plugs) as well
as the viability of the each test fungus and bacterium were