Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) is an extremely damaging disease of flue cured tobacco in North and South Carolina. It is generally believed that infection of tobacco in the field occurs through the root system. The rapid spread of bacterial wilt within South Carolina suggests that the organism is being spread in a more rapid and efficient manor than would be expected solely by the movement of soil on equipment. Field trials conducted at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center (1998-00) and confirmed in large scale on-farm trials have shown that R. solanacearum can be easily spread during mechanical flower removal. A method of removing the flower without contaminating other tobacco plants within the row is needed to reduce the spread of bacterial wilt. A modified mechanical topper was developed using a bladeless system where high pressure water (3500 pi) was used as a method of cutting the tobacco stalk without a traditional steel cutting blade. High-pressure water was successfully used to remove tobacco flowers. Water topped plants has less disease than plants topped with a traditional mechanical topper (25% vs. 12% for cv. K 326 and 14% vs. 4%, for cv. K346) (P < 0.001) in a large on-farm trial. Water topped plants did not differ in the number of diseased plant from plots topped by hand (P = 0.15). Use of water as a method of removing tobacco flowers may be an alternative to traditional steel cutting systems.