Hyperparasitic fungus Coniothyrium minitans, naturally present in the soil, grows best at temperature 20 °C. By lowering or increasing the temperature, its growth and activity decrease. Successful growth of the mycelium is not affected by the presence of the pathogen. Temperature is one of important factors for optimal growth and successful parasitizing of sclerotia of pathogenic fungi. By inoculating the sclerotia of six selected pathogenic fungi Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotinia minor, Botrytis sp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Sclerotium rolfsii and Sclerotium cepivorum, at three different temperatures (15, 20, 25 °C) under laboratory conditions, we confirmed that the success of parasitizing sclerotia of the same pathogen by C. minitans varies with temperature. It does not successfully parasitize all pathogens and not all equally under different conditions. We have confirmed that C. minitas is a successful parasite of the genus Sclerotinia and could also be used as an effective biological control agent.
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