HAI-0804 suppresses damping off and root rot in cucumber by its efficient root colonization promoted by amendment with glutamate.

Plant diseases caused by soil-borne fungi and oomycetes significantly reduce yield and quality of many crops in the agricultural systems and are difficult to control. We herein examine HAI-0804, a bacterial biological control agent that was originally developed for control of bacterial diseases on the surface of vegetables, and assessed its efficacy at controlling soil-borne diseases caused by oomycetes. Strain HAI-0804 did not exhibit detectable antibiotic activity toward , a causal agent of damping-off and root rot; however, it effectively protected against damping-off and root rot in cucumber.