Bacterial
wilt
Bacterial
wilt/brown rot is the most destructive bacterial disease of potato. Besides
potato, the pathogen Ralstonia
solanacearum
(formerly Pseudomonas solanacearum and
more recently, Burkholderia solanacearum)
also causes lethal vascular wilt diseases in more than 200 plant species
belonging to at least 50 different plant families including
several crops like potato, tomato, chilli, brinjal, pepper, ginger and others.
It is very widespread
in southern India. Since the disease affects the vascular bundles, the symptoms
of the disease is seen in the field as drooping of foliage as in the case of
water stress.
Control of bacterial wilt is difficult but it can be managed
so that the loss is minimized.
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