Bacterial Diseases of Plants

Bacterial Spot of Pepper

Camille McAvoy, Pamela Roberts, and Jeffrey Jones

Pepper fruits in the genus Capsicum are produced worldwide as a fresh vegetable, dried for spices, or used in commercial products such as dietary supplements or natural coloring in cosmetic products. A limiting disease problem on all peppers is bacterial spot caused by three species of Xanthomonas (X. euvesicatoria, X. perforans, and X. gardneri). Bacterial spot causes severe defoliation, resulting in reduced plant vigor, exposure of fruit to sunburn, and reduced yield. Infected fruit are unmarketable due to lesions on fruit surface. Total yield losses in severely affected crops can occur.

Bacterial Wilt of Southern Highbush Blueberry Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum

Philip F. Harmon, Carrie Harmon, and Dave Norman

Bacterial Speck of Tomato

Shouan Zhang, Geoffrey Meru, and Ken Pernezny

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet.

Bacterial Leaf Spot of Lettuce: An Unpredictable Enemy to the Florida Lettuce Industry

Germán Sandoya and D. Calvin Odero

Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) of lettuce is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas hortorum. BLS is more damaging in Florida, where the climate is conducive for disease development. The most effective control method is host resistance currently being developed by the UF/IFAS lettuce breeding program in all lettuce types. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department was written by Germán Sandoya and D. Calvin Odero.

Bacterial Blight of Ficus Caused by Xanthomonas

Romina Gazis, Vanessa Campoverde and Aaron Palmateer

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet for Commercial audience(s). Published by Integrated Pest Management

Angular Leaf Spot of Strawberry

Natalia A. Peres and Leandro G. Cordova

Angular Leaf Spot (ALS) is a bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas fragariae Kennedy & King, a pathogen highly specific to wild and cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne (Legard et al. 2003). ALS is an important disease on winter strawberry production worldwide. In the U.S., it ranks 6th in economic importance after gray mold (Botrytis cinerea L.), verticillium wilt (Verticillium alboatrum Reinke & Berth), powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis L.), anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.), and pythium root rot (Pythium spp.) (Sorensen et al. 1997). The rapid spread of ALS is influenced by the increasing rate of interchange of plant material.

Common Bacterial Blight of Snap Bean in Florida

Shouan Zhang, Geoffrey Meru, Aaron J. Palmateer, Ken Pernezny, and Jeffrey B. Jones

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet.

Bacterial Leaf Spot of Cucurbits

Kiersten Fullem, Mathews L. Paret, and Jeffrey B. Jones

This publication is intended to provide information on the disease bacterial leaf spot of cucurbits, its epidemiology, and management to cucurbit growers in the southeastern United States. Written by Kiersten Fullem, Mathews L. Paret, and Jeffrey B. Jones, and published by the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology Department, March 2024.

Bacterial Black Spot (BBS) of Mango in Florida

Jonathan Crane and Romina Gazis

A UF/IFAS numbered peer reviewed Management. Published by Integrated Pest Management