Rhizobacterial volatiles affect the growth of fungi and Arabidopsis thaliana

Volatiles of Stenotrophomonas, Serratia, and Bacillus species inhibited mycelial growth of many fungi and Arabidopsis thaliana (40 to 98%), and volatiles of Pseudomonas species and Burkholderia cepacia retarded the growth to lesser extents. Aspergillus niger and Fusarium species were resistant, and B. cepacia and Staphylococcus epidermidis promoted the growth of Rhizoctonia solani and A. thaliana. Bacterial volatiles provide a new source of compounds with antibiotic and growth-promoting features.