The reliability and efficiency of specific antagonistic strains of Pseudomonas sp. in the Curcumis sativus-Pythium ultimum system was significantly improved by addition of the flavonoids naringenin, daidzein and luteolin-7-glucosit, provided a detailed standardization of the test system in the combination plant-pathogen-antagonist. In cooperation with the industrial partner the fermenter-production technology for the antagonistic strains was further developed. With the RAPD PCR technique specific gene probes were developed to quantify and determine specific antagonistic strains of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas' sp. (earlier Pseudomonas fluorescens). DNA sequencess are new. With these gene probes a very quick and specific test allows the differentiation of efficient and not efficient strains of the bacteria species used and the quantification in situ of the antagonists on the root surfaces. This was not possible until now, due to the large number of physiologically similar bacterial strains in the soil. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: DtF QN1(78,31) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman