Water-soaked, translucent, angular leaf spots bounded by small veins that ooze bacteria in humid conditions, later turning reddish-brown and necrotic on the upper leaf surface; can also dry out and damage the fruit calyx in severe outbreaks.
Favorable conditions
•Warm days with cold nights and high humidity
•Rain, overhead irrigation, and harvesting/equipment movement while plants are wet
•Contaminated transplants introducing the bacterium to a new field
Management
1Start with pathogen-free transplants
2Avoid working in or irrigating over wet fields
3Apply low-rate copper sprays preventively during high-risk periods, avoiding overuse which can injure leaves