I wonder if whatever streptomyces lydicus strain is in there
will perform the same as the specific strain in Actinovate,
streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC 108 (here I have been spelling
this wrong as "lycidus", oh well; the Actinovate shorthand is
useful), or if in fact it is that exact bacterium.
Two that I recognize immediately are bacillus subtilis and
trichoderma harzianum. Bacillus subtilis also has a lot of
different strains (bacteria reproduce and evolve quickly into
slightly different organisms than what you started with), and
normally you need a specific strain for a specific plant
disease or insect pest that you are trying to control. If you
Google
"bacillus subtilis" biocontrol
you will see what I mean. Almost every research document
referenced by Google is testing a different, numbered strain
of BT against a specific disease or pest.
[Edit: BT is not bacillus subtilis. It is bacillus thuringiensis, used
in various pest control applications. So that should be, "... is
testing a different, numbered strain of bacillus subtilis against
a specific disease or pest." Same observation probably applies
to research with BT, too, though.]
Wikipedia on trichoderma harzianum (a fungus rather than a
bacteria):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichoderma_harzianum
There is also clearly a lot of genetic differentiation in
trichoderma harzianum varieties (Google results again).
I expect that this will be true of the rest of the microorganisms
in the product that you listed. So without the specific strain of
each organism included, we don't really know much about the
product other than it includes organisms for which at least some
genetic variants are effective disease controls in soil and/or on
foliage.
To wit: another "try it and see if it helped" product.
I still have a lot of Myco-grow Soluble left from last year
(ordered two packets to amortize shipping a little more),
so everything that I transplant is getting that this year. It has
the same problem: species is listed but not which strain exactly.
That need for a specific gene mix in a genetically mutation
prone organism is probably not as much of a problem for the
mycorhizzae in Soluble, which only need to inhabit roots, break
down nutrients, and transport them into close contact with the
roots to be effective in their role of enhancing the effectiveness
of root systems, as it is for the bacteria in Soluble.
That was another question I had about the bacteria in
Actinovate: since it weakens the cell walls in some pathogenic
soil fungi, will it do that to mycorhizzae, too? (Is it a waste
to use both Actinovate and mycorhizzae together?)