Stewart’s wilt

Caused by: Erwinia stewartii
Problem Category: Bacterial Disease
Symptoms: The main symptoms are appearance of water soaked lesions initially. As the disease progress the lesions become long and turn pale yellow with irregular margins running in the length. The pathogen may infect the stem and causes stunting, wilting and death of plant.
Comments: The pathogen is mainly transmitted by maize flea beetles and to lesser extent by infected seeds.
Management: Grow available resistant varieties. Use certified healthy seeds. Remove the crop debris and burn them. Use suitable insecticide to control flea beetle.
Control: spray 2 times 10% Cowdung+Asafoetida solution in 10 days interval to control wilt