Bacterial stalk rot was found to cause severe loss of sorghum crop in Kimmen county, in the summer of 2007. The disease mainly affected sorghum stem showing water-soaked symptoms that later turned reddish dark brown color. The infected stem pith disintegrated and showed slimy soft-rot symptoms and eventually the whole plant wilted. Strains of bacterium have been consistently isolated from disease tissuess. Based on physiological, biochemical and pathogenicity tests and polymerase chain reaction, the causal agent of this disease was identified as Erwinia chrysanthemi biovar 3. In vitro screening for the efficacy of different agrochemicals to inhibit the growth of the bacterium showed that copper bactericides, antibiotics and oxolinic acid were effective. Among them, oxylinic acid was the most effective.
