Erwinia, Pectobacterium and Dickeya Diseases

Crop diseases caused by enterobacteria of the genera Erwinia, Pectobacterium and Dickeya, related Gram-negative bacteria that cause fire blight of pome fruit, blackleg of potato and soft rots of stored vegetables and tubers. A disease or causal genus belongs here when its cited article names one of these genera as the causal bacterium. They spread by rain splash, insects, infected seed pieces, tools and wet storage, and many survive on plant debris between seasons. Management relies on clean planting material, sanitation, dry well-ventilated storage, resistant varieties and, for some, careful pruning or approved sprays. This heading gathers these diseases so a visitor can compare their hosts and how each is controlled.