Tomato Hybrid and Local Varieties Screened for Resistance to Bacterial Wilt Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum under Screen House and Field Conditions

Bacterial wilt is the most damaging disease of tomato in Benin. To select resistant varieties of tomato against bacterial wilt, 21 tomato varieties were evaluated twice under screen house and field conditions in a randomized complete block design with four replicates and 21 treatments which are the tested varieties. Three weeks old tomato seedlings were inoculated by crown flooding with 40 ml of a bacterial suspension of R. solanacearum strain CR-1103-2, phylotype I sequvar 14. At 28 days after inoculation, the control resistant varieties Hawaii 7997 and PADMA maintained their resistance and the known susceptible variety Tohounvi showed to be susceptible to the bacterial wilt. Among the hybrid tomato varieties, only Cobra 26 was moderately resistant. No resistant line was found among the tested local varieties. The hybrid varieties Buffalo, Petomech, Tropimech, Sumo, Prado, Ninja, Jaguar, Anaya, Topaze, Cobra 34, Heinz, Kiara, Euclid and local Kekefo, Akikonkouin, Agbotrui and Adjaa were all susceptible. In conclusion, Cobra 26 emerges as a new variety of tomato moderately resistant to bacterial wilt. This is a new finding since it adds. All the tested varieties, regardless of their resistance, were colonized by R. solanacearum. This is a challenge for tomato farmers who must practice sanitation in their fields when producing tomato susceptible or resistant varieties. The variety Cobra 26 must be scaled up to farmers.