Antifungal potential of extracellular metabolites produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus against phytopathogenic fungi.

Indigenous actinomycetes isolated from rhizosphere soils were assessed for in vitro antagonism against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Sclerotium rolfsii. A potent antagonist against both plant pathogenic fungi, designated SRA14, was selected and identified as Streptomyces hygroscopicus. The strain SRA14 highly produced extracellular chitinase and beta-1,3-glucanase during the exponential and late exponential phases, respectively.