FEMS Microbiology Ecology (2007) 61, 317-326

Gaetan Le Floch, James Tambong, Jessica Vallance, Yves Tirilly, André Lévesque and Patrice Rey (2007)
Rhizosphere persistence of three Pythium oligandrum strains in tomato soilless culture assessed by DNA macroarray and real-time PCR
FEMS Microbiology Ecology 61 (2), 317-326
Abstract: In tomato soilless culture, plant-disease optimal control and growth promotion are achieved when the rhizosphere is heavily colonized by the biocontrol agent Pythium oligandrum. Discrepancies in performance are generally attributed to the poor persistence of P. oligandrum on roots. In this study, three selected strains of P. oligandrum were introduced into the rhizosphere of greenhouse-grown tomato plants, and their persistence was assessed by DNA macroarray hybridization and real-time PCR. The experimental data from DNA detection and plate counting were compared. PCR-based methods detected P. oligandrum throughout the 6-month growing season, whereas plate counting indicated its presence only over the first 3 months. Moreover, the DNA array method provided information about the various Pythium species present in the rhizosphere: P. dissotocum was frequently detected on roots of plants, without distinction between plants inoculated or not inoculated with the antagonist. The detection of other Pythium species was noticed sporadically (P. ultimum, P. sylvaticum and P. intermedium), independent of the treatment. Even though the yield enhancement is not significant throughout the entire growing season, data obtained from epidemiological studies demonstrate an enhancement of P. oligandrum persistence on the rhizosphere of plants and less use of mycoparasitism.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Gaetan Le Floch, James T. Tambong, Patrice Rey, Yves Tirilly

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
environment - cropping system/rotation
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
environment/habitat manipulation

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Globisporangium ultimum
	Pythium dissotocum
	Globisporangium intermedium
	Globisporangium sylvaticum
Pythium oligandrum (antagonist)