Acidovorax citrulli AAC00-1

Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli is an aerobic mesophillic Gram-negative bacterium phylogenetically associated with the beta subdivision of the Proteobacteria. It is formerly known as Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli. This organism is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), which was first detected in Florida in 1989. The disease is spread by infested seeds, infected transplants, or natural spread from wild hosts. Infected transplants represent the most important means of disease transmission because fruit blotch can spread throughout the transplant operation and can be asymptomatic on older plants, which can lead to high numbers of infected young plants early in the planting season. Bacterial fruit blotch disease development is favored by warm wet weather, during which the disease can develop rapidly. Control of this disease is best achieved through preventative measures, but copper-based fungicides can mitigate the damage if applied prior to fruit set. (EBI Integr8)