Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Elizabeth Anne Blackson

Jo E Handelsman

Jocelyn Louise Milner

Biocontrol strains of the bacterial species Bacillus cereus have been previously identified as having use in aiding the growth of crop plants, but have suffered from inconsistent performance on alfalfa. It has been found that biocontrol B. cereus strains are inhibited by canavanine, an analogue of arginine exuded by alfalfa seeds. It has also been found that canavanine resistant mutant strains of B. cereus biocontrol strains can readily be made in culture which exhibit the ability to grow in the presence of alfalfa seed and inhibit Pythium pathogenesis.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Elizabeth Anne Blackson