Antagonistictreatmenttested Strain Disease Incidence (%) Disease index1 Rootfresh
weight (g)2		 Aerial parts’ fresh weight (g)2 Plant height
(cm)2
Bacillus megaterium B1 20 0.25 cd (94.32) 8.12 defg (81.65) 14.57 f g (47.57) 47 hi (53.19)
B. thuringiensis B2 0 0.0 d (100.0) 12.22 a (87.80) 30.01 a (74.54) 67 a (67.16)
Enterobacter cloacae B3 60 0.6 bcd (86.36) 9.86  bc (84.89) 24.69 bc (69.06) 57 cdef (61.40)
B. subtilis B4 80 1.2 b (72.73) 7.97  cdef(81.30) 16.15 efg(52.69) 51 efghi (56.86)
B. megaterium B5 20 0.2 cd (95.45) 7.39  defg (79.83) 16.00 efg (52.25) 46 hi (52.17)
E. cloacae B6 60 0.6 bcd (86.36) 8.77  cde (83.01) 17.71 defg (56.86) 50 fghi (56.0)
B. amyloliquefaciens B7 40 0.4 cd (90.91) 7.36 defg (79.76) 18.15 defg (57.91) 60 abcd (63.33)
B. subtilis B8 20 0.4 cd (90.91) 7.20 defg (79.31) 19.15 def (60.10) 57 cdef (61.40)
B. amyloliquefaciens B9 20 0.4 cd (90.91) 10.01  abc  (85.11) 21.24 cd (64.03) 56 cdefg (60.71)
B. subtilis B10 0 0.0 d (100.0) 11.44  ab (86.97) 30.71 a (75.12) 66 ab (66.67)
Chryseobacterium jejuense B11 100 1.0 bc (77.27) 9.21 cd (83.82) 17.65 defg (56.71) 53 cdefghi (58.49)
Klebsiella pneumoniae B12 100 1.0 bc (77.27) 7.53  defg (80.21) 16.03 efg (52.34) 51 efgh (56.86)
B. amyloliquefaciens B13 0 0.0 d (100.0) 8.79 cde (83.05) 24.28 bc (68.53) 52 defghi (57.69)
B. subtilis B14 20 0.2 cd (95.45) 11.44 ab (86.97) 26.88 ab (71.58) 59 bcde (62.71)
B. amyloliquefaciens B15 0 0.0 d (100.0) 11.62 ab (87.17) 24.13 bc (68.34) 61abc (63.93)
E. cloacae B16 0 0.0 d (100.0) 11.62  ab (87.17) 28.50 a (73.19) 66 ab (66.67)
B. subtilis B17 40 0.4cd (90.91) 6.75 efgh (77.92) 19.46 def (60.74) 48 ghi (54.17)
B. amyloliquefaciens B18 40 0.4 cd (90.91) 5.83  fgh (74.44) 17.66 defg (56.74) 52 defghi (57.69)
B. subtilis B19 60 0.6 bcd (86.36) 7.18  defg (79.28) 17.42 defg (56.14) 51 efghi (56.86)
B. subtilis B20 20 0.4 cd (90.91) 6.20  fgh (75.96) 17.8 defg (57.07) 54 cdefgh (59.26)
B. amyloliquefaciens B21 60 0.6 bcd (86.36) 4.78  hi (68.83) 18.30 def (58.25) 48 ghi (54.17)
B. amyloliquefaciens B22 40 0.6 bcd (86.36) 7.18  fgh (79.25) 17.42 def (56.14) 51 i (56.86)
B. thuringiensis B23 20 0.2cd (95.45) 6.57  efgh (77.32) 20.19 de (62.16) 49 fghi (55.10)
B. megaterium B24 20 0.2 cd (95.45) 5.55  gh (73.15) 17.54 defg (56.44) 50 fghi (56.0)
B. subtilis B25 60 0.6 bcd (86.36) 4.50  hi (66.89) 17.08 defg (55.27) 47 hi (53.19)
Untreated control C 20 0.2 cd (95.45) 2.72 ij (45.22) 13.96 g (45.27) 32 j (31.25)
S. slerotiorum -inoculated control P 100 4.4 a (0.0) 1.49  j (0.0) 7.64 h (0.0) 22 k (0.0)
Table 3: Sclerotinia Stem Rot-suppressive and plant growth-promoting effects of tomato-associated rhizobacteria noted on tomato plants cv. Rio Grande 60 days post planting. Sclerotinia Root Rot severity was assessed using an arbitrary 0-5 scale where: 0=no symptom and 5= 100% of root browning.
1: Values in parenthesis indicate the percentage (in %) of decrease in disease severity as compared to S. sclerotiorum-inoculated and untreated control plants.
2: Values in parenthesis indicate the percentage (in %) of increase in plant growth parameters as compared to S. sclerotiorum-inoculated and untreated control plants. For each parameter, values followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Duncan’s Multiple Range test (at P ≤ 0.05).