Antagonistic action of bacterial wilt of potato

Bacterial wilt caused by Relstonia solaoacearum has become a severe problem in potato crop in India. The disease mainly attack young potato plants, and no effective control measures are available yet. To explore possibilities to develop biological control of the disease, sampling of Bacillus spp. that are effective in suppressing plant diseases by known mechanisms were tested for their potential to control bacterial wilt in potato. Bacillus spp. (BB-7) an tagonize R. solanacearum in vitro by siderophore mediated competition for iron, were as inhibition of pathogen growth by Bacillus pantothenticus (BM-11) is antibioses based. Correlation were also found between antagonistic activities of these Bacillus spp. In vitro and biocontrol of bacterial wilt in potato in vitro. These strains suppressed disease when mixed together with the pathogen through the soil or when seeds or seedlings were treated with the strains before transfer into soil infested with Ralstonia solanacearum.