Journal of Environmental Management

July 2011, Vol.92(7) :1681–1689, doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.03.004

Review

Biological control of wood decay against fungal infection

• Petri Susi ^a,b,,
• Gleb Aktuganov ^c
• Juha Himanen ^b,d
• Timo Korpela ^b

• aInstitute of Microbiology and Pathology, Department of Virology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520 Turku, Finland
• bJoint Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Tykistökatu 6 A, 20520 Turku, Finland
• cInstitute of Biology, UFA Research Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences, UFA 450054, Russia
• dStructural Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, 1275 York Avenue, 10065 New York, USA

Received 14 June 2010. Revised 18 January 2011. Accepted 6 March 2011. Available online 26 March 2011.

Abstract

Wood (timber) is an important raw material for various purposes, and having biological composition it is susceptible to deterioration by various agents. The history of wood protection by impregnation with synthetic chemicals is almost two hundred years old. However, the ever-increasing public concern and the new environmental regulations on the use of chemicals have created the need for the development and the use of alternative methods for wood protection. Biological wood protection by antagonistic microbes alone or in combination with (bio)chemicals, is one of the most promising ways for the environmentally sound wood protection. The most effective biocontrol antagonists belong to genera Trichoderma, Gliocladium, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Streptomyces. They compete for an ecological niche by consuming available nutrients as well as by secreting a spectrum of biochemicals effective against various fungal pathogens. The biochemicals include cell wall-degrading enzymes, siderophores, chelating iron and a wide variety of volatile and non-volatile antibiotics. In this review, the nature and the function of the antagonistic microbes in wood protection are discussed.

Keywords

Antagonist

Biological control

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  Corresponding author. Institute of Microbiology and Pathology, Department of Virology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520 Turku, Finland. Tel.: +358 2 333 7391; fax: +358 2 251 3303.

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