Effects of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and of the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 on the composition of organic acids and sugars in tomato root exudate.

The effects of the pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and of the bacterial biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365, and of both microbes, on the amounts and composition of root exudate components of tomato plants grown in a gnotobiotic stonewool substrate system were studied.

Organic acids, sugars, and L-tryptophane in exudates of vegetables growing on stonewool and their effects on activities of rhizosphere bacteria.

The influence of stonewool substrate on the exudation of the major soluble carbon nutrients and of the auxin precursor tryptophane for Pseudomonas biocontrol agents was studied. To this end, the composition of the organic acids and sugars, as well that of tryptophane, of axenically collected exudates of seed, seedlings, and roots of tomato, cucumber, and sweet pepper was determined. The major results were as follows.

Pseudomonas putida strain PCL1444, selected for efficient root colonization and naphthalene degradation, effectively utilizes root exudate components.

Previously, we have described the selection of a plant-bacterium pair that is efficient in rhizoremediating naphthalene pollution in microcosm studies. After repeated selection for efficient root tip colonization upon inoculation of seeds of grass cv. Barmultra and for stable and efficient growth on naphthalene, Pseudomonas putida PCL1444 was selected as the most efficient colonizer of Barmultra roots.