UF-Led Research Reveals Tomato Disease Spreading Rapidly Across Continents

Tomatoes represent a $1.9 billion annual crop, nationwide. They’re planted on 330,000 acres across 18 states, but diseases such as bacterial spot can ravage the popular crop.

Bacterial diseases pose significant threats to food security by reducing crop yields and increasing production costs. Managing these diseases is challenging when pathogens are genetically diverse, evolve rapidly and are capable of traveling long distances.

Scientists and growers have battled bacterial spot worldwide for over 100 years. The disease is caused by several specialized forms of bacteria, referred to as xanthomonads.

However, a new xanthomonad, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pathovar perforans, which causes the disease, was first discovered in Florida over 30 years ago and has since spread throughout the eastern United States.

Researchers are now discovering why it travels so well.

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