Rot is a symptom of many plant diseases in which the plant decays. The decaying part of the plant may be soft and watery or it may be firm and dry. Rot diseases are caused by bacteria or fungi that infect the plant and kill the plant’s cells. Rot destroys fruits and vegetables. Plant growers help prevent rot by spraying plants with pesticides.
Common rot diseases include bitter rot, black rot, brown rot, dry rot, heart rot, potato late blight, and soft rot. Bitter rot occurs chiefly in apples but also attacks quinces, pears, and other plants. It is caused by a fungus that destroys the fruit, twigs, and limbs of the trees. The fungus produces a brown spot in the fruit that grows and may give the fruit a bitter taste.
Black rot attacks cultivated plants, including apples, grapes, pears, quinces, and sweet potatoes. The disease causes dark brown spots in the infected parts. Brown rot destroys peaches and other stone fruits, such as cherries and plums. Small brown spots appear on the fruit and grow until the entire fruit rots. Dry rot and heart rot affect chiefly timber. Potato late blight produces rot in potatoes. It caused the potato crop of Ireland to fail from 1845 to 1847. Soft rot is a common disease of vegetables that occurs during storage and transit. It may result in serious crop losses.
