• Widespread. Not reported from Africa. On cucurbits, including wild species. An important bacterial disease. More serious on watermelon.
• Greyish spots on seedlings; those on stem cause death. Fruit infections occur early with dark green areas near harvest, superficial at first, later cracking.
• Spread from seed to leaves and then in wind and rain.
• Cultural control: certified seed; 2-year crop rotation; check seedlings; disinfect nursery after outbreaks (bleach); grow new crops far from other cucurbits; remove volunteers; use drip irrigation; clean equipment used in diseased fields; tolerant varieties; collect and burn debris after harvest.
• Chemical control: copper, if symptoms seen early.

Fruit blotch; it is also known as bacterial fruit blotch.

Acidovorax citrulli; previously this bacterium was named Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli, and when first isolated from watermelon, it was Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp. citrulli. Several strains exist.