Involvement of a novel Pseudomonas protegens strain associated with entomopathogenic nematode infective juveniles in insect pathogenesis.

The soil-dwelling bacterium P. protegens appears to have evolved its own potential as a stand-alone entomopathogen, yet the establishment of an opportunistic association with entomoparasitic nematodes would represent a special competitive advantage. This finding contributes to a deeper understanding of the nematode-bacteria biocontrol agent complex and the deriving paradigm of their use as biological control agents. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.