Pathogenicity of Ralstonia solanacearum Infecting Tobacco in Enshi of Hubei Province

In order to take effective measures to control tobacco bacterial wilt in Enshi, the virulence of Ralstonia solanacearum infecting tobacco was analyzed through artificial inoculation. The pathogen isolates from Enshi could be classified into high, moderate and low virulence pathotypes based on cluster analysis using (Area under Disease Progress Curve, AUDPC) values from three tobacco cultivars, Honghuadajinyuan, K326 and Yanyan97. The results indicated that the pathogen is a dynamic population, ranging from weak to strong virulence. The three virulence pathotypes of isolates were all found in southern and northern Enshi. Compared with those from southern regions, isolates from northern regions showed relatively higher virulence.