“Pesta” is a granular, extruded product made from a cereal grain flour and any biological control agent. A strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens, BRG100, which is a pathogen of green foxtail, has been formulated into a Pesta product. P. fluorescens BRG100 survived processing best in oat flour, and the addition of 20% (wt/wt) maltose extended the shelf life of the product to more than 32 wk. Field studies of 8-wk duration showed that a Pesta product containing BRG100 suppressed green foxtail emergence by as much as 90%. An optimally formulated and processed Pesta product has potential for the biocontrol of green foxtail.
Nomenclature: Pseudomonas fluorescens; green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. #3 SETVI; oats, Avena sativa L. # AVESA.
Additional index words: Biological control, encapsulation, lactose, maltose.
Abbreviations: cfu, colony-forming units; DRB, deleterious rhizobacteria.
