Isolation of Antagonistic Bacteria against the Casual of White Rot Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from some Plant Roots, Sclerotia and Soil

Samples from carrot and lettuce roots, sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and soil were collected from south of Damascus during 2001. 82 isolates were isolated, 48 of them were isolated from roots, 27 from sarfuce of sclerotia, and 7 from soil around roots. Antgonisim capacity of these isolates was tested against S. Sclerotiorum in vitro. 7 bacterial isolates showed antagonistic effect on the growth of S. Sclerotiorum, the antagonism distance ranged bettwen (1.3 – 11 mm). The Isolate (K82.4), which was isolated from soil, showed antagonistic distance (11mm), and was the best of bacterial isolates. Three isolates were iddentified (K82.4 isolated from lettuce soil, FN3 isolated from surface of sclerotia, K4.4 isolated from carrot roots), that belong to Bacillus spp.