Bacterial Wilt

Erwinia tracheiphila

Symptoms:
A serious bacterial disease spread by cucumber beetles. First symptoms include wilted sections of mature leaves, with eventual wilting of whole sections of vines. A sticky, thread like substance can be seen when infected vines are cut and pulled apart.

Control:
Plow down residue from crops and use good field sanitation. Elimination of wild cucurbit weeds is important because they may serve as sources of inoculum. Good control of the cucumber beetle vectors is a must.

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