I'm a graduate student and my project is about how a bacteria, Lelliottia nimipressuralis, produces an antimicrobial compound which can inhibit the growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum dematium. I have showed that crude extract of the bacteria can inhibit the fungus in vitro. My next plan is to coat the surface of a pear with bacterial culture, then inoculate the fungus on the pears surface. If the experiment is successful then coating the surface of the pear with the culture should result in reduced growth of the fungus (I've already determined that the fungus is able to grow on the pear).

My question is what would be the best way to carry out this experiment? I'm thinking of soaking two pears in a culture of the bacteria for a time (4 hours to start with). I would make three replicate inoculations with fungal spores on one pear, and three replicate CK inoculations on another. Then repeat this with pears soaked in water.

Any criticisms/suggestions, or relevant papers I should look at?

Thanks!