The Effects of Bile Salts Media and the Age of Inocula in Quantitative Studies of Populations of Erwinia carotovora var. carotovora and E. carotovora var. atroseptica

Summary. Growth of Erwinia carotovora var. carotovora and E. carotovora var. atroseptica was significantly increased when bile salts were omitted from Logan's and Stewart's media. The lag and stationary phases were most, and the exponential phase was least, affected by bile salts which inhibited isolates of E. carotovora var. atroseptica more than those of E. carotovora var. carotovora. Selective media containing bile salts are therefore not suitable for enumerating populations of these organisms in soils or plant material.