Summary1. Bacterial blight of cotton is potentially one of the most damaging diseases of cotton.2. Its symptoms and adverse effect on yield are described.3. Control measures include: (i) cultural techniques of crop sanitation, and the destruction of crop residues, as well as close seasons and crop rotation; (ii) chemical seed treatments and foliar sprays; (iii) the breeding of resistant varieties.4. Techniques are described for the breeding of resistant varieties, and sources of useful genetic plant resistance identified.5. The complex nature of the interactions between host genetic resistance, variation in the pathogen and environment is emphasized.6. Successful resistance‐breeding programmes in Africa and the USA are reviewed, and attention is drawn to the pressing need for resistant varieties in India and Pakistan.7. Continued success in the control of bacterial blight will require integrated programmes that include cultural methods, the use of chemicals (particularly as seed treatments) and the cultivation of resistant varieties with durable resistanc