Integrated management of bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum

Abstract

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi is one of the most destructive diseases of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum), causing accountable losses of about 10-90 per cent. Present investigations on the disease (R. solanacearum) were carried out during 2014-15 to fulfill the objectives defined, at the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, VNMKV, Parbhani. A total of 12 treatments comprising most effective (based on plate/pot culture studies) antibiotics, fungicides, bioagents, organic amendments and phytoextracts were attempted (alone or in combination) for the integrated management of bacterial wilt pathogen (R. solanacearum), by applying sick soil technique. Among the treatments, Streptocycline + P. fluorescens + vermicompost were found most effective with significantly highest germination (78.32%), respectively, followed by Streptocycline + Copper oxychloride (73.29 %) and T. horizanum+ P. fluorescens (68.30 %). All the test amendments recorded significant reduction in least average mortality (PEM and Wilt) over untreated control. However highest least average mortality reduction was recorded with Streptocycline + P. fluorescens + vermicompost were found most effective with significantly least reduction (65.73 and 60.27 %), respectively, followed by Streptocycline + Copper oxychloride (59.88 and 54.23 %) and T. horizanum+ P. fluorescens (52.38 and 47.32 %) respectively. The result of the studies revealed that all the treatments attempted showed significantly highest seed germination, lowest average incidence (PEM and wilt) and highest reduction of average incidence (PEM and wilt), over untreated control.