Management of Ralstonia wilt through soil disinfectant, mulch, lime and cakes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Abstract

The study was conducted during the winter season of 1992-1995 on soil amelioration in sick plot having mean
Ralstonia solanacearum population 6.23 x 10⁵ cfu/g soil (ranging from 3.64 x 10⁵ to 8.38 x lO⁵cfu/ g soil) with 8
treatments, viz (i) bleaching powder, (ii) rice straw, (iii) rice straw + bleaching powder, (iv) mustard cake, (v) Indian beech
(karanj) cake, (vi) lime, (vii) fonnaldehyde and (viii) untreated control; applied 15 days before transplanting, revealed that
Ralstonia wilt in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. nom cons,) could be significantly managed by soil disinfectant,
lime and cakes, The results revealed that the plant survival was maximum in plots receiving Indian beech (karanj) cake (69,7%)
follwed by bleaching powder (68 ,2%) and lime (60,0%), Maximum yield increase over the control Was noted in lime
application (128.7%.) followed by that of mustard cake (69.7%)and formaldehyde (52.7%), the bacterial population was
reduced to 53.7% overthe initial in plots receiving bleaching powder folioed by 53.3% in formaldehyde and to 51.1%
ill rice straw + bleaching powder. Soil amelioration by Indian beech (karanJ) cake, bleaching powder and lime may be used
to manage the bacterial wilt of tomato.