US: Grant awarded to study tomato-killer pathogen

Dr. Tuan Tran, assistant professor of biology at the University of South Alabama, describes Ralstonia solananacearum as something like a supervillain in the world of plant pathogens. The soil-based bacterium causes wilt in crops such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. Scientists around the world have been studying it for years, but so far it’s been difficult to eradicate the pathogen. “It’s an important disease,” said Tran. “It damages a wide variety of crops. Not just ones we eat, but flowers as well. And once it’s there, you cannot get rid of it. So crop rotation basically doesn’t work. Farmers would just abandon a field when they got bacterial wilt. “Ralstonia is relevant everywhere you go on every continent. From Asia and Africa to North and South America. If we’re not careful, it can get out and destroy other plants, and there’s no effective way to control them. Ralstonia can live in water for decades.” Dr. Tuan Tran, assistant professor of biology at the University of South ...