Studies of the antagonistic activities of bacteria endemic to cereal seeds.

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The antagonistic activities in vitro of cereal seed‐coat isolates of Pseudomonas syringae and a member of the Erwinia herbicola group towards a wide range of plant pathogenic fungi were assessed quantitatively using a novel, agar‐based bioassay technique. When compared with the conventional streak bioassay technique, the new method, involving the use of concentric rings of bacterial inoculum, was found to have several advantages. Within 36 h of inoculation, isolates of both bacteria caused substantial, and at times complete, inhibition of the mycelial growth of almost all pathogens tested. Studies of the relationships between bacterial growth, the proximity of the bacterial ring to the fungal colony, and the levels of inhibition of mycelial growth, suggested that antagonism was primarily the result of the active production of antimycotic toxins by both bacteria, and indicated their potential as biological control agents for plant disease.