EFFECT OF CERTAIN CHLORONITROBENZENES ON GERMINATION, GROWTH AND SPORULATION OF SOME FUNGI

When grown in an atmosphere saturated with tetrachloronitrobenzene (TCNB) vapour, Botrytis cinerea showed retarded germination and colony growth and its sporulation was completely suppressed. Retardation of growth was greater on dilute or acidified media and at lower temperatures.
Similar effects were shown by Bhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora parasitica, Mucor hiemalis and Trichoderma viride but none of these was as sensitive as Botrytis cinerea , especially as regards linear growth. Of two strains of Fusarium caeruleum , one was much more sensitive than the other, both in linear growth and sporulation. Pythium deBaryanum was unaffected in its growth rate.
TCNB, as a growth repressant, is fungistatic without being fungicidal.
With fungi which are sensitive, tetrachloronitrobenzene was more effective than the penta-derivative, except for Trichoderma viride where the converse applied.