Relationships between cotton leaf-derived volatiles and growth of Aspergillus flavus

Microbial‐free compressed air was passed continuously for 2‐ and 7‐day test periods through enclosed systems containing wounded or nonwounded leaves of glanded or glandless cotton; the resultant emitted volatiles were bubbled through liquid cultures of A. flavus . After two days incubation, volatiles from wounded glanded and wounded glandless cotton leaves retarded the growth of A. flavus . After seven days incubation, fungal growth was stimulated in cultures which received volatiles from wounded or nonwounded glanded cotton leaves, but not from either type of glandless cotton leaves. Volatile profiles of the leaves were obtained by GC/MS examinations of the leaves at 2‐ and 7‐day time periods. Purified compounds of selected identified volatiles were assayed with A. flavus to determine which volatiles might be responsible for the bioactivity described.