Cross-inoculation and host responses to Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens in common bean, soybean, and cowpea: pathogenicity, symptom expression, and xylem colonization

Abstract Genetic variability within a pathogen species underlies its ability to infect multiple plant species. Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens is a notable example of a pathogen capable of colonizing plant tissues across different species, including those within the same family or across distinct families. The pathovar flaccumfaciens comprises isolates that induce both systemic and foliar symptoms in common beans and soybeans, leading to Curtobacterium wilt and bacterial brown spot diseases. Under