An efficient inoculation method to screen tomato, brinjal and chilli entries for bacterial wilt resistance

Abstract

Three inoculation methods were evaluated to screen solanaceous vegetable crops for bacterial wilt resistance. Of the three inoculation methods, viz., soil drenching, leaf clipping and axil puncturing, the soil drenching method of inoculation was found to be the best in all the three crops (tomato, brinjal and chilli) tested, as compared to leaf clipping and axil puncturing methods. The inoculation through soil drenching recorded significantly highest bacterial wilt incidence of 98.0, 95.0 and 90.0 per cent in tomato, brinjal and chilli, respectively, followed by inoculation through axil puncturing which recorded 78.0, 88.0 and 78.0 per cent wilt incidence. The leaf clipping method, however, recorded the lowest wilt incidence of 74.0, 48.0 and 40.0 per cent respectively.