Project
On-farm Demonstration of Tomato Grafting for Bacterial Wilt Control
Details
Project Code:
Not Available
Start Date:
1999
End Date:
2004
CRSP Phase:
Phase 2
Budget:
Not Available
Countries:
Bangladesh
Participants
Lead University:
Virginia Tech
Other Partners:
BARI (Bangladesh)
Principal Investigator(s):
None
Co-Principal Investigator(s):
M. A. Rashid, Shabuddin Ahmad, Ataur Rahman (BARI), Bahauddin Ahmed (IPM CRSP/Virginia Tech),
G. Luther (Virginia Tech)
Overview
Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a widespread serious disease of tomato in Bangladesh. In
absence of any practical control methods, farmers fail to establish a satisfactory crop stand and lose more than 50% of the expected yield. Without knowing the causes of the problem, farmers use pesticides indiscriminately, but fail to control the disease. Grafting of c ultivated tomato varieties on BW-resistant eggplant rootstocks has been developed as a profitable alternative for production of healthy and pesticide-free tomatoes.
Objectives
To demonstrate and popularize tomato grafting technology for bacterial wilt disease control through pilot demonstration tests in farmer fields, and to disseminate the grafting technique through farmer training.
Outcomes
The farmers were highly impressed with the simple and inexpensive technique of tomato grafting and its excellent effectiveness for bacterial wilt control, higher yields and greater net income. They were convinced that tomatoes can be grown without pesticide use and showed interest in adopting the grafting technique in larger scale.
