Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial plant pathogens under favourable environment conditions, as in protected cultivation, cause serious economic crop losses. In this chapter the symptomatology, causal agents and disease cycles of important bacterial diseases mainly of Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae crops are described. Main bacterial genera included are: Acidovorax, Clavibacter, Pectobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Ralstonia. Bacteria can be introduced in a new cultivation area via water, wind and dust however the most probable means in greenhouses, nurseries and crops is via seeds, plant propagation materials or plantlets. Given that greenhouse conditions are favourable for all bacterial epidemics, healthy seeds and transplants are still the main goal to control most of the diseases. Noteworthy bacterial diseases are notoriously difficult to control and require an intensive integrated management approach to mitigate serious economic losses that are briefly discussed.