Antagonistic abilities of Scytalidium lignicola against white- and brown-rot wood decay fungi were evaluated. Scytalidium lignicola did not produce inhibition zones but overgrew the decay fungi on a malt-agar medium and in most cases killed them. Pretreatment of Douglas-fir and Southern pine blocks with Scytalidium lignicola prevented decay. Blocks that were heated or treated with propylene oxide to kill the antagonist were not decay resistant. Thus, Scytalidium lignicola does not confer a residual fungistatic effect to wood. Scytalidium lignicola was able to eradicate all the decay fungi in wood except for Postia placenta and Gloeophyllum trabeum. Wood blocks treated with filter-sterilized filtrates of Scytalidium lignicola were not decay resistant, and filtrates were not inhibitory to growth of the decay fungi in agar medium. The antagonistic effect, therefore, apparently does not involve toxins.

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