The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of aqueous bioextracts prepared following two-week incubation of forest soil, garden compost and chicken manure respectively, on the ability of Ophiostoma flocossum, Leptographium procerum and Sphaeropsis sapinea to colonise unseasoned radiata pine sapwood. The research showed that all bioextracts tested retarded the rate of fungal colonisation of radiata pine when compared to the untreated controls, irrespective of the test fungi used. Differences in the ability of bioextracts to reduce fungal colonisation on radiata pine were observed with garden compost and forest soil bioextracts being more inhibitory than chicken manure. There was no inhibitory effect if bioextracts were sterilised by autoclaving prior, or after, the two-week incubation period. The latter observations suggest that bioextracts must contain an active microbial community in order to exert inhibitory effects against test fungi on radiata pine sapwood.

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