Bacterial Wilt
bacteriaErwinia tracheiphila
Bacterial disease of cucurbits transmitted by cucumber beetles. Blocks water transport causing rapid wilt.
Identification
Rapid wilting of individual vines. Cut stem and press: sticky bacterial ooze strings between halves. Wilt does not recover overnight.
Damage & Symptoms
Rapid, irreversible wilting. Individual vines die within days. Eventually kills entire plant. No fruit from affected vines.
Organic Control
No cure. Remove and destroy infected plants. Control cucumber beetles (the vector). Row covers.
Chemical Control
No effective chemical treatment. Control cucumber beetles to prevent.
Prevention
Control cucumber beetles with row covers. Trap cropping. Resistant cucumber varieties (not widely available). Prompt removal of infected plants.
Data confidence: medium | Source: curated_ipm