First Report of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens Infecting Common Bean in Belgium

To our knowledge, this is the first report of a symptomatic Cff infection in a legume crop in Belgium. The pathogen is economically important in the Americas, Australia and Iran. In the EU, where the bacterium is currently regulated as a quarantine organism, manifestations of the disease have been sporadic (EPPO 2025). Yet, in 2024, Cff was detected in asymptomatic common bean plants in the Netherlands (Volkers et al. 2025), following positive findings in seed lots imported from the USA, demonstrating that seed imports are an important route of introduction. It is expected that the global seed trade, expanding legume cultivation and changing climate will lead to an increase in symptomatic Cff cases in Europe. Intensified testing of import shipments and resistance breeding are key strategies to mitigate this risk.