Risk of Alternative Crops to Bacterial Wilt of Tobacco

Over 250 strains of Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs), the cause of bacterial wilt, have been collected from eleven tobacco fields in NC between 2006 and 2008. This project will investigate whether the Rs strains infect other crop hosts of the pathogen, such as tomatoes, peppers, and peanuts. This effort will determine the risk of high value crops to Rs tobacco populations and therefore the usability of tobacco land for other crops.