A Rapid Screening of Resistant Tomato Cultivars in Early Seedling Stage Against Ralstonia solanacearum Bacterial Wilt Under Soil and Nutrients Free Conditions

This work reports a rapid screening study of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars resistant to R. solanacearum (F1C1) bacterial wilt in early seedling stage (6-7 days old, cotyledon leaf stage) under soil and nutrients free condition. This study was performed in 1.5-2.0 ml microfuge tube where root inoculation approach has been used during infection under gnotobiotic condition and got completed within 2 weeks. After continuous post inoculation observation of disease progression in all nine recruited tomato cultivar, Ayush was found to be the most resistant (~15% wilting) while the Ruby tomato cultivar was found to be the most susceptible (~95% wilting) against R. solanacearum bacterial wilt. This comparative wilting and survivability study among nine different tomato cultivar under same conditions indicated that early seedling stage of tomato may be a potent and helpful tool for an easy and rapid screening of resistant tomato cultivar against R. solanacearum bacterial wilt disease at large scale level in a very economical way in terms of time, space, labor and cost. Over and above The soil and nutrients free approach presented here may be helpful for the rapid selection and development of resistant tomato cultivar and new plant protection strategies against R. solanacearum bacterial wilt disease.