The cultivar Kewalo is partially resistant to bacterial wilt but is an uncommon cultivar. Plant only certified disease-free plants.

Remove and destroy all infected plant material. Do not use pepper, eggplant, potato, sunflower, or cosmos in this rotation. Rotation with non-susceptible plants, such as corn, beans, and cabbage, for at least three years provides some control. Prevention & Treatment: Control of bacterial wilt of plants grown in infested soil is difficult. If an infected stem is cut crosswise, it will look brown and tiny drops of yellowish ooze may be visible. This results in rapid wilt of the plant while the leaves stay green. The bacteria multiply rapidly inside the water-conducting tissue of the plant, filling it with slime. This bacterium survives in the soil for extended periods and enters the roots through wounds made by transplanting, cultivation, insect feeding damage, and natural wounds where secondary roots emerge.ĭisease development is favored by high temperatures and high moisture. Zachary Boone Snipes, ©2015 Clemson Extensionīacterial wilt or Southern bacterial blight is a serious disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (formerly Pseudomonas solanacearum). Bacterial wilt ( Ralstonia solanacearum) causing a rapid wilting of tomato plants.

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