Fire blight, also written fireblight, is a contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of the family Rosaceae. It is a serious concern to producers of apples and pears. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard in a single growing season.
The causal pathogen is Erwinia amylovora, a Gram-negative bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Pears are the most susceptible, but apples, loquat, crabapples, quinces, hawthorn, cotoneaster, pyracantha, raspberry and some other rosaceous plants are also vulnerable. The disease is believed to be indigenous to North America, from where it spread to most of the rest of the world.
Fire blight is not believed to be present in Australia though it might possibly exist there. It has been a major reason for a long-standing embargo on the importation of New Zealand apples to Australia . Japan was likewise believed to be without the disease, but it was discovered in pears grown in northern Japan. Japanese authorities are however still denying its existence and the Japanese scientist who discovered it is believed to have committed suicide after his name was leaked to affected farmers.
Read more about Fire Blight: Symptoms, Dissemination, Treatment
Famous quotes containing the words fire and/or blight:
“Not till the fire is dying in the grate,
Look we for any kinship with the stars.
Oh, wisdom never comes when it is gold,
And the great price we paid for it full worth:
We have it only when we are half earth.
Little avails that coinage to the old!”
—George Meredith (1828–1909)
“Our blight must be removed from this Earth. What lies beyond is something else again.”
—Richard Matheson (b. 1926)