Longevity of Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli in naturally infested dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) debris.

In two experiments, initiated in 1986 and 1987 in the Dominican Republic, Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli, the causal organism of the common blight disease of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), survived in surface debris composed of diseased leaves. In contrast, leaves in plastic mesh bags located at a depth of 15 cm were apparently decomposed and devoid of the pathogen in less than 30 days. After extraction of bacteria from debris using 12.5 mM potassium PO 4 buffer (pH 7.1) with 1 mM MgSO 4 , dilutions were made and plated onto MXP medium