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Wilt is caused by a slimy ooze which plugs the entire water-conducting tissue of the plant. The wilted plant will not recover, even if water is adequate in the soil. Other pathogens cause wilt, but bacterial wilt may be distinguished by cutting a severely wilted stem at the base of a lateral branch or just above ground level and squeezing the cut end. Ooze will exude from the water-conducting tissue. By touching the ooze with your finger then slowly drawing your finger away, the milky, sticky ooze will string out into fine strands up to one-fourth inch long (Figure 2). This test works best for cucumbers and is less reliable for other cucurbits. A positive test is a strong diagnostic character, but a negative test does not mean that the plants do not have the disease. Another test is to place a freshly cut stem from a wilted part of the plant in a glass of water. If bacterial wilt is present, a milky exudate will appear at the cut ends. Both of these tests require patience, as the bacteria are in a sticky material and may not readily ooze from the cut stem.

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