Chestnut blight
Chestnut Blight (pronounced: /ˈtʃɛs.nʌt blaɪt/) is a devastating fungal disease that affects chestnut trees. The disease is caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, which was introduced to North America in the early 20th century.
Etymology
The term "Chestnut Blight" is derived from the type of tree it affects, the chestnut tree, and "blight", a term used in plant pathology to describe a symptom that involves the rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs.
Symptoms
The primary symptom of Chestnut Blight is the formation of cankers on the tree's bark. These cankers are sunken, necrotic lesions that eventually girdle the tree, cutting off the flow of nutrients and leading to the tree's death. Other symptoms include wilting, yellowing and premature dropping of leaves, dieback of branches, and eventual death of the tree.
Transmission
Chestnut Blight is primarily spread through the release of ascospores from the fruiting bodies of the fungus. These spores are carried by the wind to other trees. The disease can also be spread through the movement of infected wood or by animals.
Control
Control of Chestnut Blight involves a combination of methods including the use of resistant tree varieties, chemical treatments, and biological control methods such as the introduction of hypovirulent strains of the fungus.
Impact
The introduction of Chestnut Blight to North America has had a significant impact on the population of chestnut trees. Prior to the introduction of the disease, chestnut trees were a dominant species in many forests in the eastern United States. The disease has caused the near extinction of this once common tree.
See Also
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.