The Plant Pathology Journal Note Open Access First Report of Bacterial Wilt Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum Biovar 2 Race 1 on Tomato in Egypt

This study aims to isolate and identify the causal patho-gen of tomato bacterial wilt in Egypt. In 2008, tomato plants showing typical symptoms of bacterial wilt dis-ease with no foliar yellowing were observed in Minia, Assiut and Sohag governorates, Egypt. When cut stems of symptomatic plants were submerged in water, whit-ish ooze was evident and longitudinal sections showed a brown discoloration in the vascular tissues. Bacteria were isolated on triphenyl tetrazolium chloride medium and fifteen isolates shown typical morphological and cultural characteristics were confirmed as Ralstonia so-lanacearum biovar 2 race 1. Pathogenicity tests showed that all isolates proved to be pathogenic to tomato plants, varied from 52 to 97 % wilting. This is the first report of R. solanacearum biovar 2 race 1 causing bac-terial wilt in tomato crop in Egypt