A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for
agriculture and
horticulture. Their causes include a wide range of organisms as
fungi,
bacteria,
mycoplasmas and
viruses. The majority of canker-causing organisms are bound to a unique host
species or
genus, but a few will attack other plants. Weather (via frost or windstorm damage) and animal damage can also cause stress to the plant resulting in cankers. Other causes of cankers is pruning when the bark is wet or using un-sterilized tools.[1]
Although
fungicides or
bactericides can treat some cankers, often the only available treatment is to destroy the infected plant to contain the disease.
Ash bacterial canker, now understood to be caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi, rather than Pseudomonas syringae. After DNA-relatedness studies Pseudomonas savastanoi has been instated as a new species.[2]
A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for
agriculture and
horticulture. Their causes include a wide range of organisms as
fungi,
bacteria,
mycoplasmas and
viruses. The majority of canker-causing organisms are bound to a unique host
species or
genus, but a few will attack other plants. Weather (via frost or windstorm damage) and animal damage can also cause stress to the plant resulting in cankers. Other causes of cankers is pruning when the bark is wet or using un-sterilized tools.[1]
Although
fungicides or
bactericides can treat some cankers, often the only available treatment is to destroy the infected plant to contain the disease.
Ash bacterial canker, now understood to be caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi, rather than Pseudomonas syringae. After DNA-relatedness studies Pseudomonas savastanoi has been instated as a new species.[2]