Common Bacterial Blight

A seedborne bacterial disease (Xanthomonas citri pv. phaseoli) of common bean and related legumes that produces water-soaked spots on leaves, rimmed with a yellow halo, that enlarge and merge into large necrotic blotches, along with lesions on pods that can render seed unmarketable. It occurs in nearly every bean-growing region in the world and is considered the most widespread bacterial disease of dry and snap beans, spreading readily through infected seed and wet, splashing rain, which is why certified pathogen-free seed is central to its management.