Bacterial Seedling Blight of Tomato Caused by Bacillus polymyxa. F. L. Caruso, Assistant Professor, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, University of Maine, Orono 04469. M. G. Zuck, Assistant Scientist, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, University of Maine, Orono 04469; and A. E. Bessette, Division of Allied Health, Utica College of Syracuse University, Utica, NY 13502. Plant Dis. 68:617-620. Accepted for publication 29 February 1984. Copyright 1984 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-617.

Numerous necrotic flecks were observed on the stems, cotyledons, and occasionally, the roots of seedlings of 17 tomato cultivars germinated on water agar. A bacterium consistently isolated from lesions was identified as Bacillus polymyxa. This is the first known report of B. polymyxa causing seedling blight in tomato.