In our project, we discovered the new phage variant Mi-Rila, which specifically targets the plant pathogen Rhizobium rhizogenes, the causative agent of hairy root disease. We isolated Mi-Rila ourselves from compost soil, purified and propagated it, and characterised it under various environmental conditions to test its suitability for biocontrol use. Using TEM, SEM and CryoET imaging methods, we determined its morphology: it belongs to the Podoviridae family and has double-stranded DNA. Host range assays confirmed its specificity for the plant pathogen. Genome sequencing verified that Mi-Rila is a novel phage variant. In future experiments, we plan to infect dicotyledonous plants with bacteria in order to demonstrate the preventive effect of our phage in a plant model.