Bacterial Wilt
Risk near you, next 48h
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When it strikes
About
Bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila, spread by cucumber beetles, and Ralstonia in solanaceous crops) plugs the vascular system of cucurbits and tomatoes, causing irreversible collapse in warm weather.
Symptoms
Rapid wilting of individual leaves then whole vines despite moist soil; cut stems ooze sticky white strands; no recovery overnight. A cut stem dipped in water releases milky threads.
Organic Treatment
No cure — remove and destroy infected plants immediately. Control cucumber beetles with row cover and traps, since they transmit the bacteria.
Chemical Treatment
No effective bactericide; manage by controlling the insect vectors with appropriate insecticides.
Prevention
Exclude cucumber beetles with floating row cover until flowering, plant resistant varieties, and rotate crops.