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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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  4. Southern Bacterial Wilt

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

Source
Invasive.org.

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Spotlights

  • 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."

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

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

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Citations