Growth inhibitory effects on blue-stain fungi of applied electricity fields
IRG/WP 96-10167
J Bjurman
Exploratory laboratory experiments on the effects of electricity on two blue stain fungi Aureobasidium pullulans and Ceratocystis piceae on wood revealed that a potential gradient of 1 V/cm corresponding to a current of 15 mA (DC), applied without interruption during a 2 week experimental period, leads to an inhibition of the growth of these fungi. Germination is somewhat more sensitive than mycelial growth. Experiments also revealed that a potential gradient of 10-25 V/cm applied for 30 sec, 3 times every 24 h also inhibited the growth of Aureobasidium pullulans. The mechanism by which electricity exerts its growth inhibiting effect on blue stain fungi on wood is presently unclear.
Keywords: BLUE STAIN; ELECTRICITY; FUNGICIDAL EFFICACY; CERATOCYSTIS PICEAE; AUREOBASIDIUM PULLULANS