Stine Seed Farm, Inc.

Thomas J McLoughlin

Michael J Adang

Janet A Klein

Charles Novitski

Carolyn A Stock

Howard Atkinson

A method is provided for protecting a plant from nematodes and diseases associated with nematode invasion, which method comprises the step of inoculating said plant with a nematode-inhibiting strain of P. cepacia capable of colonizing said plant. The P. cepacia strain to be used should be non-pathogenic to said plant. Root inoculation of a plant with a nematode-inhibiting P. cepacia results in protection of the plant roots from nematode invasion. Foliar inoculation of the plant with these P. cepacia strains results in protection of the above-ground portions of the plant from nematode attack. Direct or indirect inoculation of seeds with nematode-inhibitory strains of P. cepacia strains can establish colonization of roots, stems and leaves of plants, and thus result in the protection of both roots and above-ground plant parts. The inoculum can be applied, for example, in the vicinity of a seed or young plant or it can be directly applied to a seed or to the above-ground parts of a young plant. Any plant colonized by the nematode-inhibiting P. cepacia of this invention may be protected against nematode attack. Specifically provided are two bacterial strains with inhibitory activity against plant-pathogenic nematodes: P. cepacia M36 (NRRL B-18379) and P. cepacia SG17 (NRRL B-18378).

Method for protecting plants from nematodes using P. cepacia strains

Methods of biological control of agricultural insect pests are disclosed. These methods utilize biological control agents which are genetically altered strains of root-colonizing strains of members of the species P. cepacia. These strains are genetically altered by introduction of genes encoding insect toxic crystal proteins, and are thereby rendered insect toxic. Genetically altered insect toxic bacterial strains are also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Thomas J McLoughlin