In intensive agriculture, harmful soilborne biotic agents, cause severe damage. These include both typical soilborne (clinical) major pathogens which destroy plants (e.g. Fusarium and Phytophthora pathogens), and subclinical ("minor") pathogens (e.g. Olpidium and Pythium). The latter cause growth retardation and yield decline. The objectives of this study were: (1) To study the behavior of clinical (major) and subclinical (minor) pathogens in plant growth substrate, with emphasis on zoosporic fungi, such as Pythium, Olipidium and Polymyxa. (2) To study the interaction between subclinical pathogens and plants, and those aspects of Pythium biology which are relevant to these systems. (3) To adopt a holistic-integrated approach for control that includes both eradicative and protective measures, based on a knowledge of the pathogens' biology.

Zoospores were demonstrated as the primary, if not the sole propagule, responsible for pathogen spread in a recirculating hydroponic cultural system, as verified with P. aphanidermatum and Phytophthora capsici. P. aphanidermatum, in contrast to Phytophthora capsici, can also spread by hyphae from plant-to-plant. Synthetic surfactants, when added to the recirculating nutrient solutions provided 100% control of root rot of peppers by these fungi without any detrimental effects on plant growth or yield. A bacterium which produced a biosurfactant was proved as efficacious as synthetic surfactants in the control of zoosporic plant pathogens in the recirculating hydroponic cultural system. The biosurfactant was identified as a rhamnolipid. Olpidium and Polymyxa are widespread and were determined as subclinical pathogens since they cause growth retardation but no plant mortality. Pythium can induce both phenomena and is an occasional subclinical pathogen. Physiological and ultrastructural studies of the interaction between Olpidium and melon plants showed that this pathogen is not destructive but affects root hairs, respiration and plant nutrition. The infected roots constitute an amplified sink competing with the shoots and eventually leading to growth retardation. Space solarization, by solar heating of the greenhouse, is effective in the sanitation of the greenhouse from residual inoculum and should be used as a component in disease management, along with other strategies.