Canker - Definition and Overview

Note:This article is about Canker in plants. For human canker sores, see mouth ulcer.

Canker is a general term for a large group of different plant diseases, characterised by the appearance of small areas of dead tissue, which grow slowly, often over a period of years. Some are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal, and of major economic importance in agriculture and horticulture. Different cankers are caused by a wide range of organisms, including fungi, bacteria, mycoplasmas and viruses. The majority of canker-causing organisms are tied obligately to a single host species or genus, but a few will attack a wider range of plants.

Some cankers are treatable with fungicides or bactericides, but many are not; often the only treatment available is to destroy the infected plant in order to prevent the disease from spreading to other plants.

Some cankers:

• Apple canker, caused by the fungus Nectria galligena
• Ash bacterial canker, caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae
• Butternut canker, caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigigenti-juglandacearum
• Cypress canker, caused by the fungus Seridium cardinale
• Grape canker, caused by the fungus Eutypa lata
• Honey locust canker, caused by the fungus Thyronectria austro-americana
• Mulberry canker, caused by the fungus Gibberella baccata
• Pine pitch canker, caused by the fungus Fusarium pini
• Poplar canker, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas populi
• Rose cankers, caused by the fungi Leptosphaeria coniothyrium and Cryptosporella umbrina

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