Abstract

ROLLERI, Jorgelina  and  ROMERO, A.M.. Prospección del marchitamiento y cancro bacteriano del tomate en invernaderos del Cinturón Hortícola de La Plata. RIA. Rev. investig. agropecu. [online]. 2022, vol.48, n.1, pp.104-110.  Epub Apr 06, 2022. ISSN 1669-2314.

Tomato is the most important fresh vegetable consumed in Argentina and the crop with the largest area produced under cover. The province of Buenos Aires concentrates 34% of that surface, most of which is located in the horticultural belt of La Plata (CHP). In this area, tomato bacterial canker and wilt (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis) seriously affects the crops. In previous visits we observed greenhouses in which most of the plants were affected by the disease. However, it is unknown whether they were just isolated cases or, conversely, a general problem; also, the average incidence of diseased plants is unkown. Knowledge of the real scope of the problem is necessary to make sound decisions, both for individual growers, growers associations or other private or public organizations. The objectives of this research were to determine the most common type of infection (systemic or localized) of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in the crop, to evaluate the incidence and prevalence, and to establish the role of the type of tomato and the preceding crop on this disease in greenhouse crops of the CHP. For this purpose, samples were taken in 60 commercial greenhouses in the main production areas of tomato of the CHP. The type of tomato, hybrid and predecessor were recorded, and samples of plants with symptoms of the disease were taken to confirm the diagnosis in the laboratory. Although localized symptoms were observed in leaves, stems and fruits, the predominant symptom in all the sampled greenhouses was of the systemic type, mainly observed as generalized wilting. The prevalence of the disease was 86.7% and the average incidence of affected plants was 26.1%. Crops that came from fallow had a lower prevalence than those coming from monoculture of tomato. All commercial cultivars were susceptible to wilting and bacterial canker of tomato, registering values of prevalence between 80 and 87%, while the incidence was lowest in the cherry, followed by the plum and round types of tomato with values of 6.3%, 20.5% and 24.5%, respectively. From these results we conclude that the disease is widespread in the CHP. In those fields with a history of the disease, it would be important to incorporate the fallow practice or rotations with other crops; if a rotation cannot be done, planting cherry tomatoes would be the best option.

Keywords : Clavibacter michiganensis subsp michiganensis; incidence; prevalence; crop rotation; Solanum esculentum L; monoculture of tomato.

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