Development of a formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens PfALR2 for management of rice sheath blight

Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates that inhibited growth of Rhizoctonia solani, the rice sheath blight pathogen, were isolated from the rhizosphere of different crops. One of the most effective strains, PfALR2, was developed as an antibiotic resistant strain and a peat-based formulation was developed for this bacterium. The effective dose of a peat formulation was assessed for seed treatment, root treatment, soil application and foliar spraying. All individual treatments controlled the disease effectively. However, a combination of all four treatments resulted in the best sheath blight control in the greenhouse. In field trials, application of the peat-based formulation of PfALR2 effectively controlled the disease, increased yield, and efficacy was comparable to that of the commercially available fungicide, carbendazim. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd