Gossypium spp.
cotton
10 Related Pests
Ralstonia solanacearum
bacterium
Bacillus musae, Bacillus musarum, Bacillus nicotianae, Bacillus sesami, Bacillus solanacearum, Bacterium solanacearum, Bacterium solanacearum var. asiatica, Bacterium solanacearum var. asiaticum, Burkholderia solanacearum, Chromobacterium nicotianae, Erwinia nicotianae,
Erwinia solanacearum, Phytobacterium solanacearum, Phytomonas ricini, Phytomonas solanacearum, Phytomonas solanacearum var. asiatica, Pseudomonas batatae, Pseudomonas ricini,
Pseudomonas solanacearum, Pseudomonas solanacearum var. asiatica, Pseudomonas tectonae,
Xanthomonas solanacearum, Xanthomonas solanacearum var. asiatica
Worldwide
AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, LA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, SD, VA, WI
China
2025-08-13
Ralstonia solanacearum spreads mainly through infected vegetative planting material, contaminated soil or water, root contact, mechanical injury, and sometimes insect vectors, with wild hosts serving as reservoirs that can contaminate irrigation sources. True seed infection is rare and confirmed in peanut, while seed contamination in other crops such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, and soybean has been reported but not substantiated, making seed a minor pathway compared with other transmission routes.
Over 250 species, particularly tropical and subtropical crops, are susceptible to races of the R. solanacearum species complex, with tomato, tobacco, aubergine, potato, banana, plantain, and Heliconia being the most significant worldwide, while other hosts include Anthurium spp., groundnut, Capsicum annuum, cotton, rubber, sweet potato, cassava, castor bean, and ginger.
No
CABI CPC, RALSSL-12
Cotton is not considered an important host of the pathogen. Seed is not known to be a pathway.
CABI CPC, RALSSL-12
Verticillium nigrescens
fungus
Gibellulopsis nigrescens
Asia: China, Japan; North America: USA
GA
Brazil
2025-09-05
Verticillium nigrescens (now often called Gibellulopsis nigrescens) is a mostly saprophytic soil-borne fungus and a weak or opportunistic plant pathogen. It survives in soil and plant debris mainly as chlamydospores and can infect roots when germination is triggered by root exudates. Transmission occurs through soil and possibly contaminated plant material, but there is no confirmed evidence of seed transmission.
Soybean and cotton are main hosts, but even on these hosts it is a weak pathogen.
No
No references found indicating seed is a pathway. Not considered an important pathogen for this crop. Often saprophytic or weakly pathogenic at most.
Verticillium dahliae
fungus
Verticillium albo-atrum f. angustum.
Verticillium albo-atrum var. chlamydosporale
Verticillium albo-atrum var. dahliae
Verticillium albo-atrum var. medium.
Verticillium dahliae f. angustum
Verticillium dahliae f. cerebriforme
Verticillium dahliae f. chlamydosporale
Verticillium dahliae f. medium
Verticillium dahliae f. zonatum
Verticillium ovatum
Verticillium trachiephilum
Worldwide
Widespread
China
2022-11-11
Prevalent in China
Verticillium dahliae has a broad host range, infecting both woody and herbaceous plants, including ornamentals, native species, and weeds. Economically important hosts include artichoke, eggplant, bell pepper, cotton, hop, lettuce, mints, oilseed rape, olive, potato, strawberry, and tomato.
uncertain
VERTDA-14, VERTDA-17, VERTDA-54
Several reports have isolated Verticillium dahliae from delinted cotton seed, and only one study found up to 30% seed infection with only 3–10% transmission to seedlings; however, evidence for seed as a major pathway is limited, and it is not regarded as an important means of dispersal.
VERTDA-14, VERTDA-17, VERTDA-54
Fungicides carbendazim or ethylene thiosulphonate have been used for general fungus control. Â Acid De-linting also for general fungus control
VERTDA-21
Resistant varieties common
Sackston WE, 1983. Epidemiology and control of seed-borne Verticillium spp. causing vascular wilt. Seed Science and Technology, 11:731-747.
Evans G, Wilhelm S, Snyder WC, 1966. Dissemination of the verticillium wilt fungus with cotton seed. Phytopathology, 56:460-461.
Göre, M. E., Erdoğan, O., Altin, N., Aydın, M. H., Caner, Ö. K., Filizer, F., & Büyükdöğerlioğlu, A. (2011). Seed transmission of Verticillium wilt of cotton. Phytoparasitica, 39(3), 285-292.
Shen CY, 1985. Integrated management of Fusarium and Verticillium wilts of cotton in China. Crop Protection, 4:337-345.
Tomato spotted wilt virus
virus
Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus, Tomato spotted wilt virus group
Worldwide
Widespread
2023-08-21
Seed is not a pathway for Tospoviruses, including Tomato spotted wilt virus
Wide host range. Over 800 plant species are known hosts. Primarily ornamentals,flowers. No evidence that small grains or corn are hosts.
No
TSWV00-1, TSWV00-3
Seed is not a pathway for Tospoviruses, including Tomato spotted wilt virus
TSWV00-1, TSWV00-3
Cotton leaf crumple virus
virus
Cotton leaf crumple bigeminivirus
Asia: India; North America: Guatemala, Mexico, USA
AZ, CA, TX
China
2025-08-01
Seed is not known to be a pathway for geminiviruses. It is transmitted by the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci).
cotton, bean
No
CLCRV0-3, EPPO
Seed is not known to be a pathway for this virus
CLCRV0-3, EPPO
Cotton leaf curl virus
virus
Cotton leaf curl bigeminivirus, Cotton leaf curl geminivirus
Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivorie, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo; Asia: Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates; Europe: Germany; North America: USA.
TX
China
2025-08-04
Cotton leaf curl virus is a whitefly-transmitted virus affecting cotton, causing leaf curling, vein thickening, and stunting. It is not seed-transmitted and is managed through whitefly control and resistant varieties.
Main: cotton; Other: okra, pepper, melon, tomato
No
CLCuV-1, CLCuV-2, CLCuV-3, CLCuV-4
Seed is not known to be a pathway. Whitefly transmitted only.
CLCuV-1, CLCuV-2, CLCuV-3, CLCuV-4
chemical, cultural
The use of chemicals and cultural methods to control the white fly.
Cotton Leaf Curl Virus. In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Raj SK, Khan MS, Snehi SK, Srivastava S, Singh HB, 2006. A yellow mosaic disease of soybean in northern India is caused by Cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus. Plant Disease, 90:975.
Nadeem, S., Riaz Ahmed, S., Luqman, T., Tan, D. K., Maryum, Z., Akhtar, K. P., ... & Liu, Y. (2024). A comprehensive review on Gossypium hirsutum resistance against cotton leaf curl virus. Frontiers in Genetics, 15, 1306469.
Shafqat, U., Yasin, M. U., Shahid, M., Hussain, S., Shahzad, T., Mahmood, F., ... & Zeid, A. (2024). Evaluating the impact of biogenic nanoparticles and pesticide application in controlling cotton leaf curl virus disease (CLCuD) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 11(1), 149.
Phytophthora boehmeriae
fungus
Boll rot of cotton
China, India, Japan, Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Brazil
Not known to occur
Thailand
2022-12-01
cotton, ramie
No
PHYTBM-1, PHYTBM-2, PHYTBM-3, PHYTBM-4
Pathway not proven. All the references above found evidence of P. boehmeriae in seeds from infected cotton bolls. However, only one (PHYTBM-4) reported possible seed transmission. Evidence is still unclear as to the importance of seed as a pathway.
PHYTBM-1, PHYTBM-2, PHYTBM-3, PHYTBM-4
Seed wash and visual examination, Seed wash and culture plating
PHYTBM-1
These tests were used in research and have not been validated or standardized.
Hot water treatment
PHYTBM-1
Phytophthora boehmeriae. In: Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Zhang XZ, Ling PL, Ma P and Chen XH, 1995. Studies on cotton seed-born pathogen of Phytophthora boll rot and its lethal temperature. Acta Phytophylacica Sinica, 22:67-69
Ma P and Shen CY, 1994. Studies on the relationship between Phytophthora sp. caused seedling blight and boll blight of cotton. Acta Phytophylacica Sinica, 21:220
Zheng XB, Lu JY, He H, Wang TL and Wang HY, 1992. Oospores of Phytophthora boehmeriae overwintered in soil as an infection source of cotton boll rot disease. Acta Phytophylacica Sinica, 19:251-256
Pratylenchus brachyurus
nematode
Anguillulina brachyura, Pratylenchus leiocephalus, Pratylenchus pratensis, Pratylenchus steineri, Tylenchus brachyurus
Worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions.
AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA
Korea
2025-08-13
Pratylenchus brachyurus is a root-lesion nematode that reproduces mainly by mitotic parthenogenesis. It spends its entire life cycle inside plant roots or in surrounding soil, feeding and moving within root tissues. Eggs overwinter in roots or soil, hatching in spring to resume infection. Seed is not known to be a pathway.
Wide host range. Main hosts of economic importance: pineapple, potatoes, peanuts, cotton, tobacco, peaches, cereals, coffee, soybean.
No
CABI CPC, PRATBR-4, PRATBR-5, PRATBR-6, PRATBR-7, PRATBR-8
Seed is not known to be a pathway for this nematode in any host.
CABI CPC, PRATBR-4, PRATBR-5, PRATBR-6, PRATBR-7, PRATBR-8
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Nemaplex.UCDavis.edu; Revision Date: 16-December-2024; Accessed 13-August-2025
Nomura, R. B. G., Lopes-Caitar, V. S., Hishinuma-Silva, S. M., Machado, A. C. Z., Meyer, M. C., & Marcelino-Guimarães, F. C. (2024). Pratylenchus brachyurus: status and perspectives in Brazilian agriculture. Tropical Plant Pathology, 49(5), 573-589.
Agrios, G. N. 2005. Plant Pathology, 5th Edition. Elsevier Academic Press. 922 pp
Chitambar, J. J., Westerdahl, B. B., and Subbotin, S. A. 2018. Plant Parasitic Nematodes in California Agriculture. In Subbotin, S., Chitambar J., (eds) Plant Parasitic Nematodes in Sustainable Agriculture of North America. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham.
Scheck, H.J. 2023. California Pest Rating Proposal for Pratylenchus brachyurus (Godfrey, 1929) Filipjev & Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1941 smooth-headed lesion nematode. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, California, USA,
Boeremia exigua var. exigua
fungus
Ascochyta asteris, Ascochyta cyphomandrae, Ascochyta hydrangeae, Ascochyta nicotianae, Ascochyta phaseolorum, Ascochyta sonchi, Phoma exigua f.sp. exigua, Phoma exigua var. exigua, Phoma herbarum, Phoma herbarum f. brassicae, Phoma herbarum f. hyoscyami, Phoma herbarum f. schoberiae, Phoma herbarum var. dulcamaricola, Phoma linicola, Phoma solanicola, Phoma solanophila, Phoma tuberosa, Phyllosticta decidua, Phyllosticta hortorum, Phyllosticta mulgedii, Phyllosticta sambuci, Phyllosticta vincae-majoris, Phyllosticta vincae-minoris
Worldwide. CABI: B. exigua var. exigua is almost certainly ubiquitous worldwide, but many records fail to specify the variety that it is not possible to provide particular country/state information. There are undoubtedly many records under the many synonyms and these require re-examination.
Widespread
Korea
2024-09-04
This pathogen has been reported in Korea under other synonyms. This is a weak pathogen capable of persisting in soil and also transmitted by rainsplash-dispersed conidia. Common bean and possible sugarcane are the only hosts shown where seed may be a pathway.
B. exigua var. exigua is a ubiquitous weak or secondary pathogen on more than 200 different plant genera. Main hosts are in the Fabaaceae and Solanaceae familes.
No
CABICPC, RICHISTA
No references found indicating seed is a pathway. A weak pathogen but widespread in soils throughout the world.
CABICPC, RICHISTA
Alternaria alternata
fungus
Alternaria alternata f.sp. fragariae
Alternaria alternata f.sp. lycopersici
Alternaria fasciculata
Alternaria tenuis
Worldwide
AL, CA, FL, GA, IL, IA, LA, MI, MS, NY, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX
Korea
2025-09-08
Alternaria alternata is a widespread fungus that can persist in soil and crop debris for many years, enabling it to infect plants across successive growing seasons. Its spores are dispersed by air, wind, water splash, irrigation, and contact with contaminated plant material. Numerous studies have demonstrated its transmission under experimental conditions, and it has been shown to be seed-transmitted in a few crops within the Malvaceae family.
Main: allium, pepper; Other: watermelon, sunflower, sorghum, spinach, marigold, many fruits and trees
uncertain
ALTEAL-17, ALTEAL-18, ALTEAL-19, ALTEAL-53, ALTEAL-54, ALTEAL-55
Alternaria alternata has been detected on cotton seed, and seed transmission has been confirmed in other Malvaceae species, leading to the assumption that cotton seed could serve as a pathway. Some sources report its survival on or within seed and potential spread through contaminated seed lots, while others only list it among fungi isolated from seed without providing transmission data. No studies were found that conclusively demonstrate natural seed-to-seedling transmission in cotton, so the role of seed as a pathway remains documented but uncertain.
ALTEAL-17, ALTEAL-18, ALTEAL-19, ALTEAL-53, ALTEAL-54, ALTEAL-55
Culture plating
ALTEAL-18
Culture plating was used in surveys. This method has not been standardized or validated.
CABI CPC, ALTEAL-56
Seed treatments affective against A. alternata have been described for other hosts.
Bell AA and Medrano EG. 2004. Frequency and Pathogenicity of Microorganisms Associted with Cotton Seed Rot in South Carolina. 2004 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, San Antonio TX. https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/11975/PDF
Rathod SR and Chaven AM. 2010. Incidence of Alternaria Species on Different Cereals, Pulses and Oil Seeds. Journ. of Ecobiotech 2:63-65
Rathod, SR.2012. Seed Borne Alternaria species: A Review. Curretn Botany 3:21-23
Bashan, Y., Levanony, H., & Or, R. (1991). Wind dispersal of Alternaria alternata, a cause of leaf blight of cotton. Journal of Phytopathology, 133(3), 225-238.
Le, D. P., & Gregson, A. (2019). Alternaria leaf spot of cotton seedlings grown in New South Wales, Australia, is predominantly associated with Alternaria alternata. Australasian Plant Pathology, 48(3), 209-216.
BISWAL, K. A. (2021). Cotton seeds association microbes and their impact on seed health.
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Venkatesh, I., & Darvin, G. (2016). An overview on cotton Alternaria leaf spot and its management. Int J Appl Bio Pharm Tech, 7(2), 135.
Search the database