*2.10. Pot Culture Experiments*

Prior to use, seed surfaces were disinfected with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min [46]. Both germination and plant growth conditions followed 75–90% RH and a 12-h photoperiod at 28 ◦C. Four treatments were established as follows: TR 1 (one day before transplanting the test plants, strain NEAU-HV9 was added into the sterilized soil so that each gram of soil received about <sup>1</sup> <sup>×</sup> 109 cfu g−<sup>1</sup> bacterial cells. Seven day old tomato seedlings were transferred to the soil; after three weeks, plants were inoculated with a suspension (OD600 = 0.3) of *R. solanacearum*); TR 2 (seven day old tomato seedlings were transferred to sterilized soil; after three weeks, tomato seedlings were irrigated with a solution of actinomycin D (0.6 mg L−1). After one day, tomato plants were inoculated with a suspension (OD600 = 0.3) of *R. solanacearum* by pouring it onto the soil of unwounded plants at a final concentration of 1 <sup>×</sup> 10<sup>7</sup> cfu g−<sup>1</sup> of soil [47]); CK 1 (seven day old tomato seedlings were transferred to sterilized soil; after three weeks, tomato seedlings were irrigated with sterilized water as positive control); and CK 2 (seven day old tomato seedlings were transferred to sterilized soil; after three weeks, tomato seedlings were inoculated with a suspension (OD600 = 0.3) of *R. solanacearum* as a negative control). All plants were kept in the greenhouse at 24–28 ◦C and 75–90% RH with a 12-h photoperiod. Treatments were replicated three times with five plants per replication. The disease incidence was rated using the 0–4 scale [48].
