In 1983, an iterative process was initiated to identify isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens with the potential to control Pythium and Rhizoctonia on cotton. Isolations were made from surviving plants in fields with a high incidence of the seedling disease complex. Over a two year period, a total of 3,350 isolates were made of which 2,550 were evaluated in a primary screen (artificial growth media; artificial inoculation) to determine control potential against the two fungal pathogens. Of that number, 196 strains provided significant levels of disease control and entered into a secondary screen where plants were grown in soils naturally infested with the fungal pathogens. Of the strains entering the secondary screen, a total of 23 were selected for field evaluation. Of the strains tested in the field, two were identified as providing disease control equivalent to standard chemical fungicides we are now preparing to commercialize one of these strains as the Dagger(TM) product.