Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of cucurbits, caused by the gramnegative
bacterium Acidovorax citrulli (33) (formerly A. avenae
subsp. citrulli; 42), poses a significant threat to cucurbit seed and
fruit production worldwide (32). BFB was reported in commercial
watermelon fields in Florida in 1989, and frequent outbreaks
caused significant economic losses across the southeastern United
States in the early 1990s (35). At present, the disease is a sporadic
threat to cucurbit producers worldwide (4,26,29), because an outbreak
can lead to 100% yield loss under ideal environmental conditions