Pythium deliense causing severe damping-off of cucumber seedlings and its biological control by soil bacteria

Abstract Pythium deliense Meurs was isolated from cucumber plant debris and was found to be highly pathogenic to cucumber seedlings, causing severe damping-off disease. The fungus however was completely inhibited by a soil bacterium SU-48.1. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal that the disease can be controlled by using this bacterium. The details of the parasitic fungus, the antagonism between the fungus and the bacteria, and the biological control of the disease, are described in this article.