Original scientific paper DOI: /10.5513/JCEA01/21.4.2942 Journal of Central European Agriculture, 2020, 21(4), p.839-850 The potential use of the culture filtrate of an Aspergillus niger strain in the management of fungal diseases of grapevine Egy Aspergillus niger törzs fermentlevének lehetséges felhasználása a szőlő gombás betegségeinek megelőzésére Xénia PÁLFI1, Zoltán KARÁCSONY1 (✉), Anett CSIKÓS2, Ottó BENCSIK3, András SZEKERES3, Zsolt ZSÓFI4, Kálmán Zoltán VÁCZY1 1 Eszterházy Károly University, Food and Wine Research Institute, H-3300 Eger, Leányka utca 6., Hungary 2 University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty, Institute of Plant Protection, H-8360 Keszthely, Deák Ferenc utca 16., Hungary 3 University of Szeged, Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, H-6726 Szeged, Közép fasor 52., Hungary 4 Eszterházy Károly University, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, H-3300 Eger, Leányka utca 6., Hungary ✉ Corresponding author:
[email protected] Received: June 22, 2020; accepted: August 5, 2020 ABSTRACT The present study was aimed to examine the use of culture filtrates of defensin-producing fungal strains against the most important fungal and pseudofungal infections of grapevine as an environmentally sound alternative of chemical control. Twenty-seven isolates of five defensin-producing fungal species were tested for antifungal activity. Four isolates (one Aspergillus giganteus and three Aspergillus niger) decreased the viability of the test organism successfully. The isolate with the highest antifungal efficacy (Aspergillus niger SZMC2759) was subjected to detailed investigation. The culture filtrate of the strain was effective against epicuticular mycelia and conidia ofBotrytis cinerea, Guignardia bidwellii and Erysiphe necator, but not against subcuticular mycelia andPlasmopara viticola cells.