Fluorescent pseudomonads as biocontrol agents for sustainable agricultural systems

The highly diverse genus Pseudomonas contains very effective biocontrol agents that can increase plant growth and improve plant health. Biocontrol characteristics, however, are strain-dependent and cannot be clearly linked to phylogenetic variation. Isolate screening remains essential to find suitable strains, which can be done by testing large local collections for disease suppression and plant-growth promotion exemplified in a case study on forage legumes in Uruguay or by targeted screening for Pseudomonas spp. which produce desirable secondary metabolites, as demonstrated in a case study on cocoyam in Cameroon. In both case studies, access to reference strains from public and private collections was essential for identification, phylogenetic studies and metabolite characterization. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.