BACTERIAL WILT OF CUCUMBER: AN EMERGING THREAT TO CUCUMBER PRODUCTION IN PAKISTAN

Cucumber is an economically important crop and cultivated in almost all temperature zones. It is also used as model system for sex and vascular biology study. Cultivation of cucumber is increasing day by day due to its high nutrition value. Several diseases pose great threat to cultivation of cucumber and one of the highly devastating disease of cucumber is bacterial wilt of cucumber. Erwinia tracheiphila is the causal agent of this disease and it is limited to xylem and absorbs all the nutrients from it and in result cause wilting of entire plant. This pathogen is transmitted by striped and spotted cucumber beetles. These beetles feed on seedlings and stems and carry the pathogen from infected to healthy plant. Bacterial wilt of cucumber was diagnosed in field by observing hyaline, sticky strands of slime. There are different management techniques available to control the spread of disease. Biological control and development of resistant varieties are gaining importance as compared to insecticides, due to their ecofriendly behavior towards human and animal life.