Capsicum chinense (habanero pepper) grown in Yucatan, Mexico, is frequently diseased by plant bacterial pathogens, but the bacterial agents remain unidentified. Bacteria associated with diseased C. chinense were isolated and characterized. Two isolates, ChA11 and ChA14, induced hypersensitive response in C. chinense plantlets and caused rot in C. chinense fruit and potato slices. Molecular identification showed both to be Pseudomonas spp. This is the first report identifying Pseudomonas spp. associated with C. chinense grown in Yucatan, and may represent a first step towards developing control measures against this insidious pathogen.

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