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Eco-friendly management modules for bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) of tomato for protected cultivation in a tropical island ecosystem

Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) is the most threatening disease of tomato in tropical regions and causes great loss to the tomato industry in open and protected cultivation. This study aimed to develop an eco-friendly management module for bacterial wilt of tomato for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. For this, three experiments were conducted at the Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, on genotype screening, grafting technique and growing media during 2009–2012. Among 70 genotypes tested, none were found to be resistant against R. solanacearum and had high level of incidence (41.5–94.2%). Graft compatibility of tomato was observed with Solanum torvum and Solanum melongena, which showed high level of bacterial wilt tolerance with 0.0% and 5.5% incidence, respectively. Cocopeat-based growing media significantly (p < 0.05) reduced bacterial wilt incidence (15.0–45.0%) compared with controls (40.0–56.7%) in potted tomatoes. Fruit yield from individual plants was negatively affected in grafted plants while a significant (p < 0.05) increase was recorded from tomatoes in cocopeat-based growing media. Both options reduce wilt incidence significantly (p < 0.05) and maintained the plant population with increased yield per unit area. These trials suggested three modules against bacterial wilt; first, tolerant genotype+grafting on S. torvum or S. melongena rootstocks+growing on cocopeat–vermicompost–lime (1.0:1.0:0.01) media; second, tolerant genotype+cocopeat–vermicompost–lime (1.0:1.0:0.01) media; and third tolerant genotype+grafting on S. torvum or S. melongena rootstocks. These are cost-effective and locally available eco-friendly modules, which can be adopted in bacterial wilt prone areas of tropical islands.