– Examples:
– Apple canker caused by the fungus Neonectria galligena
– Ash bacterial canker caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi
– Butternut canker caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum
– Bleeding canker of horse chestnut caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. (incl. C. fragariae)
– Tomato anthracnose caused by the fungus Colletotrichum coccodes
– Causes:
– Plant canker is a small area of dead tissue that grows slowly
– Majority of canker-causing organisms are specific to host species or genus
– Weather and animal damage can stress plants leading to cankers
– Pruning with wet bark or unsterilized tools can cause cankers
– Fungicides or bactericides can treat some cankers
– Treatment:
– Destroying infected plants is often the only available treatment
– Fungicides or bactericides can be used for some cankers
– Treatment options for cankers are limited
– Cankers can have major economic implications for agriculture
– Butternut canker is a lethal disease with no cure
– See also:
– Forest pathology
– Burl or Burr
– References:
– Canker Diseases. The Morton Arboretum
– DNA relatedness among the pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae
– Developmental Stage and Temperature Affect Strawberry Flower and Fruit Susceptibility to Anthracnose
– Managing Colletotrichum on Fruit Crops: A Complex Challenge
– The Colletotrichum acutatum species complex
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.
Although fungicides or bactericides can treat some cankers, often the only available treatment is to destroy the infected plant to contain the disease.