Prevalence, distribution and symptomatology of bacterial canker of tomato in Himachal Pradesh

摘要

Tomato (Solarium lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important widely cultivated vegetable crops of India as well as in Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh, tomato plays an important role in the economy of farmers, since it is grown in an area of 11.24 thousand ha with the production of 481.94 thousand MT (Anonymous, 2017). Bacterial canker has emerged as a major disease of tomato in open as well as protected cultivation causing huge losses to the growers (Sarala and Shetty, 2005). 100% losses dueto this disease are reported worldwide (Chang et al., 1992). Due to prevalence of high humidity and temperature under protected cultivation of tomato in Himachal Pradesh, this disease has assumed serious proportions in major tomato growing districts of Himachal Pradesh (Singh et al., 2015). Unawareness of farmers about improved varieties, diseases and pests damaging the crop and their control measures are limiting factors for its production and productivity. The occurrence of bacterial canker causes wilting and stunting of plants, necrosis on leaves, discoloration of vascular tissues and death/wilting of severely infected plants. Marginal necrosis of leaflets is the most frequent symptom during field epidemics (Leon et al, 2011).