Biological control of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense in banana by inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens

Abstract

Native strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens exhibited in vitro antibiosis towards isolates of races 1 and 4 of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, the Panama wilt pathogen of banana. The seedlings of Musa balbisiana seedlings treated with P. fluorescens showed less severe wilting and internal discolouration due to F. oxysporum f.sp. cubense infection in greenhouse experiments. In addition to suppressing Panama wilt, bacterized seedlings of M. balbisiana also showed better root growth and enhanced plant height. © 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers.