First report of watermelon fruit blotch in Texas
A new bacterial watermelon fruit blotch was reported in spring 1989 in Florida (US) (RS 519/10, 1992) and then further reported in south-eastern, mid-Atlantic and mid-Western states. In June 1993, this disease was observed for the first time in Frio and Duval Counties in Texas (US) on mature melon fruits, where it caused water-soaked, dark green lesions with irregular margins. In older lesions, the epidermis was brown and cracked. In Frio County, some necrotic leaf lesions were also observed. The area known to be affected by the disease in Texas is only about 100 acres. In the Frio County the disease incidence was approximately 50 % in the affected fields. The causal agent was isolated and identified as Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (syn. Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli).
Sources
Black, M.C.; Isakeit, T.; Barnes, L.W.; Kucharek, T.A.; Hoover, R.J.; Hodge, N.C. (1994) First Report of Bacterial Fruit Blotch of Watermelon in Texas.
Plant Disease, 78 (8), p 831.