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A study was conducted to determine the role of the siderophores pyoverdin and pyochelin production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2 in the biological control of Pythium splendens. The production of both siderophores was found to be crucial to the attainment of high levels of protection against Pythium-induced postemergence damping-off. Siderophore-mediated iron competition was postulated as the reason for the observed antagonism and apparent interchangeability of the two compounds.

Monitoring of nematodes throughout their reproductive cycle, using an in vitro culturing technique, reveals that the infective juvenile colonization is initiated by the Xenorhabdus nematophila bacteria by competing for colonization sites within the Steinernema carpocapsae nematode intestine. Data indicate that the final population of bacteria in the nematode is monoclonal originating from one or two bacterial clones.