Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli, betel, Taiwan

September 2011. The EPPO Reporting Service No. 8 Paris, 2011-08-01 announced the following concerning a leaf blight of betel nut palms in Taiwan:

In 2008, betel vines (Piper betle, Piperaceae) showing leaf blight symptoms were observed in central Taiwan. Infections resulted in 30 to 70% losses in the production of leaves. Symptoms began with small, necrotic, water-soaked spots that progressed to circular or irregularly shaped brown lesions with chlorotic halos on leaves. Laboratory studies confirmed the presence of Acidovorax citrulli (EPPO Alert List) in diseased plants. This is the first report of this bacterium naturally infecting a non-cucurbit plant. Inoculation studies have indicated that betelvine strains could infect melon plants (Cucumis melo).

Deng WL, Huang TC, Tsai YC (2010) First report of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli as the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight of betelvine in Taiwan. Plant Disease 94(8), 1065-1065.

This is the same bacterium that has causes Bacterial fruit blotch in watermelon and other cucubits. It is a seedborne pathogen in Cucurbitaceae.