Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T02:18:34.765Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

12 - Pseudomonads as Biocontrol Agents of Diseases Caused by Soil-borne Pathogens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2010

Heikki M. T. Hokkanen
Affiliation:
University of Helsinki
James M. Lynch
Affiliation:
University of Surrey
Get access

Summary

Introduction

Progress in agronomy over the last 30 years has allowed world food production to almost double. In part, this was possible through the control of diseases caused by air-borne pathogens. However, the damage caused by soil-borne pathogens has increased during the same period; this has resulted in important yield reduction in protected and unprotected crops. To date, satisfactory methods of control have not been developed. Few plant varieties are resistant to soil-borne pathogens. Unfortunately, crop rotation is often not possible for economic reasons. Pesticides are seldom effective in soil and growing concern for the environment restricts their use. Biological control of root diseases can be considered as an alternative for the future. The pseudomonads are currently receiving attention world-wide because some strains, added at a few grams or milligrams per hectare, effectively increase crop yield and improve plant health. These beneficial effects are well documented, however the mechanisms involved are only partially understood. A better understanding of these mechanisms is crucial to safety if pseudomonads are to be released on a large scale. Data on safety are scarce because the investigation of potential risks associated with the release of pseudomonads has just begun. This review will mainly focus on the results obtained with strain CHAO of Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Beneficial effect of resident populations of pseudomonads

Resident populations of pseudomonads are part of the natural disease suppressiveness of soils and of suppressiveness induced by monoculture or solarization (Smiley, 1979; Scher and Baker, 1980; Rovira and Wildermuth, 1981; Cook and Weller, 1987; Defago and Haas, 1990; Gamliel and Katan, 1991). It is important to realize that natural suppressiveness occurs only in distinct areas.

Type
Chapter
Information
Biological Control
Benefits and Risks
, pp. 137 - 148
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×