INTERACTION OF PSEUDOMONAS-SYRINGAE PV. GARCAE WITH A SAPROPHYTIC FLUORESCENT PSEUDOMONAD

A fluorescent pseudomonad isolated from coffee (Coffea arabica L.) phy lloplane was distinguished from Pseudomonas syringae pv. garcae that c auses bacterial blight of coffee in Kenya which is characterised by it s biochemical, physiological and pathogenicity characteristics. In dua l culture, this bacterium inhibited growth of the pathogen on buffered and unbuffered potato dextrose agar and King's B. media. It also supp ressed epiphytic growth of the pathogen when the two were co-inoculate d on the surface of ethanol disinfested detached coffee leaves. Howeve r, on their co-inoculation into leaves a susceptible cultivar of C. ar abica L. did not protect the crop from developing the disease.