Determining the Environmental Fate of the Biological Control Organism, Pseudomonas aureofaciens through 16SrDNA Gene Probing

Rationale Biological organisms for the prevention of turfgrass diseases are now available and in widespread use. Biological control is achieved through antagonistic action of one organism toward another such as a pathogen or weed. At present, no genetically engineered organisms are available in the turfgrass industry, however, as advances in biotechnology increase the activity of wild type (natural occurring) organisms through genetic manipulation, engineered varieties will likely enter the market. Although not genetically engineered, the biological control organism P. aureofaciens may serve as a predictive model for the behavior of future organisms that may potentially harbor altered genetics and thus, require sensitive post-application monitoring.