Races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum (Smith) Dye, the Causal Organism of Bacterial Blight of Cotton, in Nigeria

Races 6, 7 and 10 of Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum (Smith) Dye, the causal organism of bacterial blight of cotton, were identified among twelve isolates of the pathogen from the three cotton growing zones of Nigeria. Races 7 and 10 were, however, predominant. The races were distinguished by inoculation of eight cotton lines known to differentiate through possession of different resistance genes. Further work is necessary, on a much greater number of isolates, to determine therange and distribution of different virulence types in Nigeria.