Eventually the entire plant wilts and dies. Control of bacterial wilt is extremely difficult because the pathogen can remain viable in the soil for many years. This bacteria overwinters in weed hosts and plant debris and can be spread by infected seeds and machinery. Nematode infections increase the severity of wilt. The wide host range of bacterial wilt includes all solanaceous crops and peanuts which severely limits crops that can be used in rotations.
Fumigation is of limited value.
Tolerant cultivars are listed at the end of the Tomato chapter. Experiments at two sites in Florida tested the effect of composted organic amendments on bacterial wilt of tomato. At one site, yard waste, mushroom compost, and yard waste plus poultry litter suppressed bacterial wilt compared to sewage sludge, yard waste plus cow manure or no organic amendments. On the other site, only mushroom compost reduced disease incidence compared to controls. Site differences were attributed to possible differences in pathogen strains at the two sites.