Bacterial Spot
- Issue type
- disease
- Seedborne
- Yes, travels on seed
- Resistance code
- Bs, Bs1, Bs2, Bs3, Bs4C, Bs7, BsT, bs5, bs6
Symptoms
Small greasy dark spots on leaves that turn angular and drop their centers, and raised scabby lesions on fruit. On pepper the fruit spots are corky and disfiguring enough to reject a whole load; on tomato the same organism defoliates plants in hot wet weather.
Management
Seed and transplant hygiene first, because the pathogen rides seed and volunteers. Copper-mancozeb programs follow, though copper resistance is widespread in Xanthomonas populations. Pepper breeding has produced named race-specific resistance genes (Bs1 through Bs3), which is why commercial bell varieties list numbered race resistance while tomato varieties rarely do.
Varieties with documented resistance
| Variety | Level | Code | Basis | Days | Breeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aristotle | resistant | Bs | Independently observed | 70-75 | F1 hybrid |
| Revolution | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 72-78 | F1 hybrid |
| Declaration | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 70-78 | F1 hybrid |
| Emerald Fire | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 60-75 | F1 hybrid |
| Turnpike | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 65-80 | F1 hybrid |
| Vanguard | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 65-80 | F1 hybrid |
| Intruder | resistant | Bs | Breeder declared | 63-78 | F1 hybrid |
| Paladin | susceptible | - | Independently observed | 70-78 | F1 hybrid |
| Jalafuego | intermediate | Bs | Breeder declared | 70-75 | F1 hybrid |
| Blushing Beauty | intermediate | Bs | Breeder declared | 65-75 | F1 hybrid |
This is the page where the difference matters most, because it is where a variety gets chosen for its resistance. Breeder declared means the claim comes from whoever breeds or sells the seed, which for most resistance genes is the only evidence that exists. Independently observed means an institution with no stake in the sale grew the plant and reported what happened.
Trials that measured this disease
Published field evaluations where researchers grew varieties and rated this disease themselves. These are the strongest evidence on this page, because the observation and the seed have no common owner.
Rutgers bell pepper bacterial leaf spot trial, 2021
2021 · Upper Deerfield, New Jersey · field
| Variety | Measured | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Revolution | Bacterial Spot severity | 4.00 index |
| Aristotle | Bacterial Spot severity | 2.50 index |
| Turnpike | Bacterial Spot severity | 4.00 index |
| Intruder | Bacterial Spot severity | 3.75 index |
| Paladin | Bacterial Spot severity | 3.50 index |
Sources & References
Evidence: 3 sources, all independent references.
- Tomato Production and Cultivar Guides · University of Florida IFAS Extension, University or Government
- Pepper Production Guides · University of Florida IFAS Extension, University or Government
- Bacterial Spot of Pepper (PP362) · University of Florida IFAS Extension, University or Government