As many as forty fluorascent pseudomonad strains were isolated from rhizoplans of various plants grown in vertisols. Based on their ability to form the zone of inhibition in vitro, the strains FPD-10 (isolated from silverask) and FPD-15 (isolated from groundnut) were selected as efficient antagonists against Sclerotium rolfsii and they were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens. both the strains inhibited sclerotial germination in vitro as well as in soil. The strain FPD-15 was found to be more "ecologicaly fit" with higher multiplication and survival in the soil.