Southern Bacterial Wilt of Geranium Caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum. D. L. Strider, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27650. R. K. Jones, Associate Professor, and R. A. Haygood, Graduate Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27650. Plant Dis. 65:52-53. Copyright 1981 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-65-52.

The cause of wilting and death of florists’ geranium (Pelargonium hortorum) in a garden in Raleigh, NC, was determined to be Pseudomonas solanacearum. This geranium isolate of P. solanacearum was also pathogenic on marigold, tomato, and zinnia, but not on tobacco. A marigold isolate reacted similarly, but tobacco and tomato isolates were pathogenic on all five crops. This is believed to be the first report of P. solanacearum on geranium.