Violet-Pigmented Pseudomonads With Antifungal Activity From the Rhizosphere of Beans.

Bean rhizosphere bacteria antagonistic to four root-infecting fungi and an antibiotic produced by these bacteria were studied. The bacteria were violet-pigmented gram-negative rods, probably belonging to the genus Pseudomonas. The antibiotic, which was localized largely in the bacterial cell mass, was easily extracted with acetone. It was selectively active against a wide variety of plant-pathogenic and saprophytic fungi tested in vitro but was relatively inactive against bacteria. The compound, partially purified by chromatography, was soluble in all organic solvents tried, but nearly insoluble in water. It demonstrated no characteristic ultraviolet- or visible-absorption spectrum and was chemically unidentified. The antagonistic bacteria or crude antibiotic applied to buried buckwheat segments suppressed the colonization of this substrate by Rhizoctonia spp. The data suggested that the bacteria or the antibiotic may play a role in the suppression of root-infecting fungi in soil.