Reductions in Yield of Processing Tomatoes and Incidence of Bacterial Canker

Various incidences of systemic infection of bacterial canker, caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, were established in field plots of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. In 2 yr, total fruit weight, percent maximum yield, and average fruit weight of processing tomatoes (cv. Heinz 1810) were related to incidence of systemic infection of bacterial canker 1 wk before harvest. For plants infected during clipping or seedling harvest, total fruit weight per plot decreased as much as 58 kg, maximum yield decreased as much as 46%, and average fruit weight decreased as much as 13 g when the highest incidence of systemic infection was 31-83% (.)