How dangerous is bacterial canker of tomatoes and how to fight it on your own: folk methods and advice from experienced summer residents

Have you ever encountered a situation where tomatoes grown with such difficulty began to become covered with spots and ulcers? Experienced gardeners know that tissue damage indicates the development of bacterial canker in tomatoes. What is this disease, how is it transmitted, can it be cured and how to protect the crop? You will learn answers to questions about plant cancer from this article; photographs are attached to the advice of experienced gardeners.

What kind of disease is this

Bacterial canker is a chronic disease that affects perennial crops: grapes, fruits, berries, and roses. Scientists have found that the causative agents are rod-shaped bacteria. Microorganisms are much more stable in sandy soil; in fertilized soil they can be quickly dealt with. The causative agent of bacterial cancer is very tenacious - it remains in the soil even two to three years after the complete decomposition of infected fruits.

Non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology and weather conditions contribute to the development of the disease. The disease develops slowly - it can take two months from infection to the death of the plant. Bacterial cancer of tomatoes is typical for greenhouses and greenhouses, since they maintain favorable conditions for the life of the pathogen. Mass infection can lead to the death of 30% of the crop, and in advanced cases there is a risk of losing all plants.

How does it affect tomatoes?

Bacterial cancer comes in two types: diffuse and local.The first form of the disease is considered the most dangerous; it is characterized by damage to the plant’s vascular system. As a result, the stem and leaves begin to wither, which leads to the death of the seedlings. In the second form, the fruits suffer; in an advanced stage, the disease makes them unfit for consumption. Seeds infected plants may contain the pathogen, so the fruits and above-ground parts are burned.

Symptoms and external signs

Even a novice gardener can identify bacterial cancer. If, with the diagnosis of a disease that affects seedlings, difficulties arise, experienced specialists will be able to recognize the disease from photographs. The first symptoms begin to appear two to three weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground.

Manifestation of bacterial cancer:

• wilting of leaves on one side of the plant;
• the appearance of black tears on the stems;
• mucus discharge from lesions;
• damage to the plant’s vascular system - when cutting a leaf, darkening of the blood vessels is visible;
• covering plants and fruits with dark spots and ulcers.

Infected fruits can be identified at the initial stage by tearing them off from the calyx. With bacterial cancer, the vascular bundles of the tomato will darken. You can also cut a tomato - when sick, yellow veins stretch to the seed chambers.

Reasons for appearance

The cause of the disease is the activity of rod-shaped bacteria Corynebacterium michiganense. When they get inside a plant, they begin to move, infecting everything in their path.

Important! The plant can get sick at any period of growth, so you need to monitor the condition of the leaves of the seedlings so as not to miss the development of bacterial cancer.

The causative agent of the disease is very tenacious; it can be transmitted from infected seeds, through soil, the remains of infected plants and garden tools.

Terms of distribution

The disease is characteristic of regions where low temperatures are observed in winter. Perennial crops are damaged during frost and hail. Bacteria penetrate into places where the periderm breaks, which then spread throughout the plant.

Bacterial canker of tomatoes most often affects plants grown in greenhouses and greenhouses. Damage to a tomato bush increases the risk of developing the disease. Often the disease is in a latent form, and this is its main danger.

A temperature of +25 C° promotes the growth of bacteria; a critical indicator for their life is +50 C°. Warmth and high humidity contribute to the rapid development of cancer. The disease can be transmitted from one plant to another by wind and rain.

Carefully! Fruits can become infected through external damage during secondary spread of the disease.

How and with what to treat

With the diffuse form of the disease, the fight does not make sense. The second form of bacterial cancer is treatable and the crop can be saved. However, in this case, it is better not to collect the seeds of infected tomatoes, since the infectious agent may remain in them.

Chemicals

At the first signs of disease, it is necessary to completely replace the soil. You can also disinfect it. For these purposes, use “Carbation” - per 1 sq.m. You will need 50 ml of the substance, diluted in 1.5 liters of water.

Treatment of greenhouses and greenhouses will slow down the spread of the pathogen. Structures, as well as garden tools, can be disinfected using a 2% Virkon S solution.

0.2% Fitolavin-300 is suitable for spraying plants. The first treatment of seedlings is carried out during the period of leaf formation, and then every subsequent two weeks.

Experienced summer residents also use the drug “Gamair” to treat the disease. According to the instructions, tablets of the drug are dissolved in water and then sprayed. The procedure is best done in the morning.

Traditional methods

To prevent the pathogen from being transferred to healthy plants, frames, doors and windows can be treated in greenhouses and greenhouses. This can be done using formalin - the substance is dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:50. For 1 sq.m. you will need 2-3 liters of solution.

Agrotechnical techniques

Seasonal soil disinfection will help stop the development of the disease. You can also avoid the spread of bacterial cancer if you follow crop rotation - tomatoes can be planted in their original place only after 3 years.

Preventive measures

To protect the crop from bacterial cancer, precautions must be taken during the preparation for sowing.

Effective preventive measures:

• purchase seeds from trusted producers;
• Before planting, treat the seed material;
• Always remove plant debris after harvesting;
• observe crop rotation;
• regularly disinfect garden tools;
• disinfect greenhouses and greenhouses twice a year - after harvesting and before planting seeds.

Important! If diseased plants are found, they must be burned and the soil must be completely replaced.

Advice from gardeners

Disinfecting seeds will help prevent the development of bacterial canker in tomatoes. You can kill the infectious agent by heating the seed material for 20 minutes in hot water (48-50 C°).Then the seeds should be washed with cold water and dried well.

Solutions for soaking seeds:

• formalin - proportion 1/100, soak for 15 minutes;
• 20% hydrochloric acid - the period of exposure to the material should not exceed 5-10 minutes;
• 0.2% solution “Fitolavina-300” - the seeds are soaked for 2 hours.

Conclusion

Bacterial canker of tomatoes is a dangerous disease that can lead to the death of entire seedlings. With a diffuse form of the disease, no control measures will help; the harvest can only be saved if the disease develops locally. In this case, you need to burn the diseased plants and disinfect the soil. You can reduce the risk of infection by spraying. Preventing bacterial cancer is easier than eliminating its consequences. The best preventive measure is seed disinfection.