Review on harnessing biotechnological tools for the development of stable bacterial wilt resistant solanaceous vegetable crops

Abstract Bacterial wilt of solanaceous vegetables caused by the soil-borne pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum is a serious plant disease-causing heavy economical losses. Traditional methods such as vegetable grafting, cultural, biological, and chemical methods have limited success rate against bacterial wilt when used alone though in combination some success has been reported. Biotechnological techniques such as somatic hybridization/protoplast fusion, marker-assisted breeding, genetic engineering, transcriptomics, and gene silencing against bacterial wilt disease are the techniques which may circumvent problems associated with selection for disease resistance with the use of conventional breeding. There is a need for cultivars with stable resistance. In this review, information regarding somatic hybridization, marker-assisted breeding, transcriptomics, genetic engineering and gene silencing so far accomplished in the solanaceous vegetables to combat the bacterial wilt has been covered.