Biological control of bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum in India with antagonistic bacteria

From among 125 strains of fluorescent and 52 strains of nonfluorescent bacteria initially screened in the laboratory for their antibiosis towards the bacterial wilt pathogen, Pseudomonas solanacearum, strain Pfcp of Pseudomonas fluorescens and strains B33 and B36 of Bacillus spp., were chosen and evaluated further in greenhouse and field tests. Pfcp treated banana (Musa balbisiana), eggplant and tomato plants were protected from wilt upto 50, 61 and 95% in greenhouse and upto 50, 49 and 36% respectively in field. Protection afforded by the Bacillus strains was lower. In bacteria-treated plants which were subsequently inoculated with P. solanacearum plant height and biomass values increased and were close to those of nontreated and noninoculated control plants.