Modern greenhouses employ non-soil culture methods in which
the nutrient solution is recirculated in order to prevent the release
of excess nutrients to the environment and to save resources. In
these systems there is a potential risk of proliferation of zoosporeproducing
plant pathogens (oomycetes), which are particularly
well-adapted to aquatic life (Stanghellini and Rasmussen, 1994).
Compared with using pesticide-based managements, biocontrol
using antagonistic microorganisms is a sustainable approach to
deal with oomycetes in hydroponic systems.