on the rot pathogen (Fig. 6A). B. cenocepacia VBC7 was also able to
produce prominent and large zones of inhibition (Fig. 6B). All of the
strains of L. lactis subsp. lactis, used in these studies were also able
to produce clear zones of inhibition against isolated pathogens and
in particular, LABW4 showed better result (Fig. 6C). Potentials of
biocontrol organisms were also tested by applying their cell free
supernatants as well as broth cultures to the spore suspension of
pathogenic strain VBAM1 and monitoring the germination percentage
of spores microscopically. It has been found that broth cultures
in all the cases can lead to complete inhibition of spore
germination and cell free supernatants of LAB strains cause more
than 97% and that of rhizospheric strains cause more than 95%
inhibition of spore germination. Cell free supernatants of all the
biocontrol strains at their ten-fold dilutions also could inhibit more
than 50% spore germination of VBAM1.
It was also found that the unboiled