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Southern Bacterial Wilt

Scientific Name

Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (CABI)

Common Name

Southern bacterial wilt (SBW), potato brown rot

Synonym

Pseudomonas solanacearum (CABI)

Native To

Possibly the Andean highlands of South America (Champoiseau et al. 2010)

Date of U.S. Introduction

First detected on imported geraniums in 1999 (Champoiseau et al. 2010)

Means of Introduction

Contaminated imported plant stock (Champoiseau et al. 2010)

Impact

Disease of geraniums and solanaceous crops (potatoes are particularly susceptible to this race of the disease) (Champoiseau et al. 2010)

Southern Bacterial Wilt - Invasive.org

Potato brown wilt, symptoms, leaf scorching

Credit

Jean L. Williams-Woodward University of Georgia

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Spotlights

  • APHIS Deploys a High-Tech Tool to Keep Ralstonia Out of the United States

    • Nov 16, 2021
    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has deployed a new, high-tech tool to help protect U.S. nursery and specialty crop growers from a disease-causing microbe called Ralstonia solanacearum. APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program is now using molecular diagnostics (MDx) at its plant inspection stations to rapidly detect R. solanacearum on imported geranium (Pelargonium) plant cuttings. PPQ developed this extra level of protection following the detection of R. solanacearum in April 2020, which triggered an emergency response in 44 states involving 650 nurseries. PPQ successfully eradicated R. solancearum from the United States just two months later.

  • Early Detection is Key: University of Guam Keeps an Eye Out for Deadly Tomato Pests

    • Oct 8, 2020
    • University of Guam.

    • The University of Guam received another round of funding in September under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Act for the surveying and monitoring of invasive pests of solanaceous crops that are on USDA’s Priority Pest List for 2021. Solanaceae, or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that include tomato, eggplant, and chili pepper. As part of the national effort this year, UOG was awarded $38,000 to survey and monitor for two pests: Tuta absoluta, which is a moth and type of leafminer capable of destroying an entire crop, and Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2, which is a bacterium, known as a bacterial wilt, that infects through the roots and is deadly to plants.

      The work through UOG better prepares the island to manage these invasive species if or when they arrive. "There are certain pathogens and insects that have a reputation of being really bad. These are two of them," said project lead Robert L. Schlub, a researcher and faculty member of UOG Cooperative Extension and Outreach with a doctorate in plant pathology. "They aren’t on Guam, but if they show up, we want to know so we can help get them under control."

  • Ralstonia Eradicated from Greenhouses

    • Jun 11, 2020
    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its State partners have successfully completed actions to eliminate Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 from U.S. greenhouses. This announcement comes just two months after the pathogen was first detected in a Michigan greenhouse in April. In total, the response involved more than 650 facilities in 44 States. R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 can cause a wilt disease in several important agricultural crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. This was the first confirmed case of this pathogen in U.S. greenhouses since 2004. APHIS continues to strengthen overseas safeguards, improve diagnostics, increase treatment options, and continually assess pathways to better protect American agriculture from this and other high-consequence plant pests and diseases.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Partnership
Federal Government
International Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Citations