Organic Control Measures to Manage Bacterial Speck Disease in Tomato

Bacterial speck is a common tomato disease that occurs worldwide wherever tomatoes are cultivated.  The disease can gradually reduce yield when it severely affects leaves of plants early in the growing season.  The disease has a greater impact on crop quality (and marketability for commercial tomato growers) when symptoms occur on tomato fruit. The main economic effect of  disease is the reduction in fruit weight and quality of fruit. Bacterial spots on fruits have been reported to account for up to 52% loss of fruit weight while yield losses due to bacterial speck varied from 75% in plants infected at an early stage of growth to 5% in plants infected later in the season.

• Type of Infestation: Disease
• Common Name:  Bacterial speck
• Scientific Name: Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato
• Category of Plant Disease: Bacteria
• Mode of Spread: seedborne
• Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves and fruit

Environmental Factors Favorable for disease development

• Temperature: Bacteria can grow at 18°C to 24°C
• Relative Humidity: Highest sporulation is noticed at 80-85% of relative humidity.

Most Affected States in India

Maharashtra and Karnataka

Symptoms

1. Initial Symptoms: Leaf shows symptoms of small black spots (approximately ⅛ to ¼ inch in diameter) that often are more prominent on the undersides of leaves.  Later spots became a yellow halo that may develop around the edge of the leaf.  Spots on the fruit surface are very small (almost pinpoint-like) and do not penetrate very deeply inside into the fruit tissue.
2. Severe Symptoms: The spots can be raised, flat or sunken, and range in color from brown to black.  The spots often have darker green halos appear on unripe, green fruits, while on ripe fruits the spots can have subtle, yellow halos.

Biological Control Measures for Bacterial speck in Tomato

Prophylactic

Curative

Product Details

1. Xymo BLT100 : This is available in powder form and it contains NON-GMO biologicals, lysing biocatalysts, stabilizers and bioenhancers. This is a broad spectrum bio-agents, which is recommended for Early blight, Late blight and Septoria leaf spot diseases of tomato. Xymo BLT 100 + Zymo Max Spread is sprayed as a preventive measure against Early & Late blight and Septoria Leaf spot of tomato. With these two biopesticides Zymo Bioguard is sprayed as a curative spray for the same diseases.
2. Zymo Thymox :It is a concentrated broad spectrum organic fungi & bacteria controlling agent. Product contains a selective combination of Botanical extracts concentrate, Plant oils, Stabilizers & Excipients.
3. Xymo Max Spread: This is available in liquid form, which is helpful for uniform spreading of biopesticide on sprayed areas. This can be used for all crops. It breaks down the surface tension of water and increases the wetting and spreading of a spray solution.

 For more details on the product, please visit page: ‘Diseases Management in Tomato Crop using UAL Organic Based Products’