Vegetos- An International Journal of Plant Research

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is highly challenging and one of the most destructive diseases of solanaceous crops worldwide. Ralstonia solanacearum is regarded as one of the world's most important bacterial plant pathogens because of its aggressiveness, large host range, broad geographical distribution and long persistence in soil and water environments. Ralstonia solanacearum constitutes a serious obstacle to the cultivation of the economically important brinjal among other crops, causing total damage of plantations before as well as after bearing fruits. This soilborne bacterium enters plant roots, invades the xylem vessels and spreads rapidly to aerial parts of the plant through the vascular system. Typical disease symptoms include browning of the xylem, foliar epinasty, lethal generalized wilting and can finally lead to plant death. Cultural practices and chemicals, if judiciously used, can reduce disease incidence and severity, but alone are expensive and ineffective. Use of resistant varieties is an effective control strategy to manage bacterial wilt. Fifty genotypes of brinjal were screened in a polyhouse for resistance to bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum by artificial inoculation of bacterial suspension both by soil drenching and axil puncturing method during rabi 2011 at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Anantharajupet. Among the fifty brinjal genotypes four genotypes viz., Arka Keshav, Surya, Arka Neelkanth and Arka Nidhi were found resistant, while 17 accessions were found susceptible and 29 accessions were found highly susceptible to bacterial wilt. Susceptible check Arka Shirish recorded 90.67% bacterial wilt and succumbed to complete wilt. The resistant genotypes identified may be used for developing brinjal varieties resistant to bacterial wilt.