PHAGES FOR AGROBACTERIUM RADIOBACTER WITH REFERENCE TO HOST RANGE

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Abstract
Nineteen phages active against Agrobacterium radiobacter were isolated. Thirteen phages were obtained from raw sewage and six from silt loam soil seeded to alfalfa and peas. Temperate phages were not detected among the host strains. In specificity tests, Campbell and Hofer's medium was used for the phage: rhizobia systems and nutrient broth for the phage:agrobacteria systems. The phages showed a high degree of specificity for species of the genus Agrobacterium; however, all strains of A. radiobacter and A. tumefaciens were not lysed by any one phage. One phage lysed two strains of alfalfa rhizobia and three strains of clover rhizobia. Bacterial species outside the family Rhizobiaceae were not lysed. The 19 phages constituted one cross-resistance group. Phage-resistant isolates of A. radiobacter did not produce galls on tomato plants or nodules on four leguminous species.