Evaluation of Efficacy of Biological Antagonists

N Gallace, Sydney University, 2001

AIM: Suppressing Seedling damping off ~ Pythium aphanidermatum in soil

• Glasshouse/Cucumber seedlings @ 30ºC
• Biological agents introduced to pasteurised potting mix 3 days prior to transplanting 10 days old seedlings
  

% Healthy Seedlings vs Control
with 0.5% inoculum of Pythium Aphanidermatum

• For any given inoculum level, Companion increased the likelihood of maintaining healthy seedlings x 6 fold vs Control

• No fungal biocontrol agents were able to initiate significant biocontrol activity.

• We hypothesise that Companion® was able to regenerate & rapidly following application to exert significant control in the rhizosphere.

• Bacillus Subtilis - Companion® has also been observed to produce antibiotics, effective against a wide range of plant pathogens.

• The ability of bacteria (-Companion® ) to exert significant control of Pythium is a result of its inherent ecological adoptions to high temperature and moist conditions & ability to initiate activity rapidly in the infection court of the pathogen.