Biological control agents such as fungi or bacteria placed into the rhizosphere et plants or coated on to the surface of planted seed must be able to survive and multiply in an unfavorable or even hostile environment. In 1985 the seedling disease protection provided by three biological control agents, applied as seed coatings, was compared to two control treatments, one without fungicides and one coated with a standard fungicide combination. These five treatments were compared with an additional six treatments that included combinations of each of the three biological control agents with, in one case, metalaxyl a fungicide known to control Pythium ultimum, and in the other, chloroneb a fungicide, elected to control Rhizoctonia solani. The selective fungicides were used in case the biocontrol agent provided control of one of these prominent seedling pathogens, but not the other. The twelfth treatment was a 2 X application of a bacterial agent described below.