Sesame is a major cooking oil crop in Korea. One of the primary problems in sesame cultivation is low healthy stand establishment due to the occurrence of seedling rot and damping-off resulting from a complex of soil-borne pathogens in the field. To address the problem, the bioformulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens M45 was prepared in powder form using clay and vermiculite, and was evaluated for its effect on biological control of soil-borne pathogens in sesame cultivation. In the petri dish trial, the emergence rate was overall good (> 92%) regardless of seeds being pelleted and/or M45-treated. In both pot and field trials containing disease-conducive soils, seed-pelleting substantially reduced emergence rate, whereas seed-pelleting with M45 significantly improved the emergence rate (> 26%). The emergence rate of sesame seeds treated with the strain M45 was greater than 30% regardless of seed pelletization. We also found that M45r colonized in the roots at the density of 1.6×105 cfu/g. With aid of the bioformulation, however, root colonization of the strain was significantly increased to 4.0×106 cfu/g. The powder formulation with strain M45 enhanced the rate of healthy stand establishment in disease-conducive soil. Therefore, bioformulation with strain M45 is a promising method to overcome problems associated with the successive cultivation of sesame.

Pseudomonas fluorescens B16 has been shown to be a promising biological control agent for the promotion of plant growth, root colonization, and suppression of bacterial wilt. This study investigated the dispersion of B16 from seed to radicle, and to the whole root system, and illustrated population changes within cucumber seeds and radicles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscopy (FM) and immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM). When cucumber seeds were soaked in a bacterial suspension of B16, bacterial cells entered the seeds through the pore at the base, colonized the inner plane, and proliferated germination advanced. Population densities of B16 were gradually increased, and increased initial populations within newly growing roots. The root surface was covered by cylindrical rod-shaped bacterial cells, and junctions between epidermal cells were covered preferentially. Previous studies exploring root colonization of rhizobacteria have not focused on colonized populations inside seeds. Our microscopic observations confirmed the importance of bacterial cells colonized inside seed coats. Population densities of B16 were then naturally sustained up to harvesting time. The results obtained in this study provide about a novel insight into the commercial application of biological control agents within seeds.

두 가지 다른 기질의 담체를 이용하여 살조세균 Pseudomonas fluorescens HYK0210-SK09의 포집율과 microcosm에서 Stephanodiscus hantzschii의 살조능을 파악하였다. Active carbon polyvinyl alcohol (ACPA)담체가 cellulose sponge (CS)담체보다 SK09를 높게 포집하였다. 이를 이용한 microcosm에서 ACPA담체가 CS담체보다 S. hantzschii의 살조

The effects of inorganic salts, inoculum concentration, aeration rate and shaking speed on insoluble phosphate solubilization by Pseudomonas fluorescens RAF15 were investigated. Soluble phosphate production was dependent on the presence of MgCl₂·6H₂O and MgSO₄·7H₂O in the medium. Supplementation of medium with 0.01% CaCl₂·2H₂O and 0.01% NaCl slightly increased soluble phosphate production. The optimal medium compositions for the solubilization of insoluble phosphate by P. fluorescens RAF15 were 1.5% glucose, 0.005% urea, 0.3% MgCl₂·6H₂O, 0.01% MgSO₄·7H₂O, 0.01% CaCl₂·2H₂O and 0.01% NaCl, respectively. Optimal inoculum concentration was 2.0%(v/v). Maximum soluble phosphate production was obtained with 20-50 ml/250-ml flask and 200 rpm of shaking speed, respectively. The addition of EDTA decreased cell growth and soluble phosphate production.

The removal of nitrogen compounds from a wastewater is essential and it is often accomplished by biological process. An aerobic nitrate-removing bacterium was isolated from a municipal sewage treatment plant and soil. On the basis of its morphological, cultural and physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA sequencing data, this strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens, and named as P. fluorescens K4. The optimal conditions of the initial pH and temperature of media for its growth were 7.0~8.0 and 30℃, respectively. P. fluorescens K4 was able to remove 99.9% of nitrate after 24 h in a culture. The strain could grow with a nitrate concentration up to 800 mg/l and was able to remove 99.9% of nitrate after 104 h of incubation. The optimal electron donor was sodium citrate for a nitrate removal. The strain K4 showed a capability of a complete nitrate removal when the initial C/N ratio was 1.0. An effect of the initial seed concentration was observed for a cell of 10% (v/v) for a nitrate removal. Especially P. fluorescens K4 could completely remove 200 mg/l ammonium for 3 days.