EFFECTIVENESS OF DRY FORMULATIONS OF ENTEROBACTER-AGGLOMERANS FOR CONTROL OF CROWN AND ROOT-ROT OF APPLE-TREES

A lyophilized dry formulation and live cultures of strain B8 of Entero bacter agglomerans were applied in the spring and fall over a 3-year p eriod as soil and trunk drenches at the rate of 1 x 10(10) colony form ing units per tree for control of Phytophthora cactorum crown and root rot at two locations in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The bacteria significantly reduced disease severity and increased trunk cr oss-sectional area and fruit yield of Macspur apple trees on MM106 roo tstock when compared with the untreated control. No significant differ ence was observed between lyophilized or live bacteria in effectivenes s as a biological control agent.