Involvement of pyochelin and pyoverdin in suppression of Pythium-induced damping-off of tomato by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2

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.