OLIGOTROPHIC PSEUDOMONADS IN THE RHIZOSPHERE - SUPPRESSIVENESS TO PYTHIUM DAMPING-OFF OF CUCUMBER SEEDLINGS (CUCUMIS-SATIVUS L)

Pseudomonads recovered from the cucumber rhizosphere were evaluated for their ability to suppress Pythium ultimum damping-off. Full-strength and 250-fold diluted selective media formulations with King's B medium (KB and KB/250, respectively) as the basal medium were used as the recovery media. Eight per cent of the isolates recovered (11/138) could induce suppression to Pythium damping-off and 45% of these biocontrol agents produced fluorescent pigments. No differences in the ability to induce suppression among the isolates recovered on full-strength and diluted media were detected. The growth rates of the selected isolates indicated that growth in KB broth was faster or equal to that in KB/10. Therefore, no obligate oligotrophs were recovered. Additionally, growth was observed in 15 000-fold diluted KB for 10 of 11 test isolates, which indicated that these isolates were facultative oligotrophs. In general, the faster growing isolates were more likely to induce suppression when used as seed treatments. Finally, the in vitro antifungal properties of test isolates against P. ultimum indicated that 4 of the 11 isolates inhibited P. ultimum. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.