Tomato fruits and seed lots were screened for
the presence of Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Ralstonia
solanacearum. Yellow colonies of Xanthomonas vesicatoria
and white colonies of Ralstonia solanacearum were
consistently isolated on yeast extract-dextrose-calcium
carbonate agar medium (YDC) from diseased fruits and
seed samples. This was confirmed by isolation on semiselective
medium such as Tween B for Xanthomonas and
triphenyltetrazolium salt (TTC) medium for Ralstonia solanacearum
followed by biochemical tests. The four
isolates belonging to Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Ralstonia
solanacearum were used to inoculate a local tomato
variety. The isolates were found to cause yellowing and
wilting of 2-weeks-old seedlings by 8–14 days after inoculation
and by 4 weeks all plants hadwilted and completely died.
Bacteria with the same characteristics as those inoculated
were reisolated from the infected plants. Uninoculated plants
remained healthy.