Partial characterization of volatile fungistatic compound(s) from soil

Many soils contain volatile, water-soluble compound(s) that inhibit germination of Cochliobolus victoriae conidia in the absence of a carbon source. The volatile fungistatic compound(s) from soil were separated into a cell-free extract. Loss of fungistatic activity from the extract was time- and temperature-dependent; all activity was lost within 5 min at 90 C, 48 h at 21 C, and 5 days at -70 C. Much of the fungistatic activity was lost after the soil extract was diluted by 10%, incubated in an uncapped vial, or transferred to a new vial via a gas-tight syringe. Fungistatic activity was not detected in material collected from soil into a liquid N 2 cold trap [...]