Ralstonia solanacearum: A Bacterial Disease and Its Biological Control by Essential Oils on Solanum tuberosum L.

Worldwide, potato is considered the fourth most important crop for human consump- tion. In recent years, in some regions of the USA and Canada, the bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum ( Rs ), called bacterial wilt (Mb), has caused serious damage. Given the proximity of these countries, with Mexico as a tuber importer, the odds of an eventual introduction of these diseases are significant, especially in areas with large tracts of potato. Therefore, this research was performed to detect the presence of Rs in tuber and vegetative material of Solanum tuberosum and evaluated the bactericidal effect of essential oils. The results indicated that the presence of the bacterium Rs was negative in tuber from abroad. Nevertheless, we detected the presence of the causal agent of bacterial wilt in potatoes for domestic consumption that producers could use these tubers as production material. Oils of oregano and thyme showed inhibitory effects on the growth of Rs . Essential oils are considered as an alternative for the control of Rs . 10, and 15 μl. The data were analyzed in Statistix 8.0 program (2003).