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Blighted hybrid pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit infected with the plant-pathogen, Phytophthora parasitica.

Aglaonema leaf with bacterial blight cause by the plant pathogenic bacterium, Erwinia sp.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) leaf with symptoms of potato late blight, cuased by the plant pathogen, Phytophthora infestans.

Fruit blight of papaya (Carica papaya ), caused by the plant pathogen, Phytophthora palmivora.

Blighted ti (Cordyline sp.) leaves, presumable caused by a plant-pathoegnic fungus.

Blighted noni fruits and foliage of noni (Morinda citrifolia), caused by a plant-pathogenic species of Phytophthora.

Blighted cacao (Theobroma cacao) pod suffering from Phytophthora pod rot.

 

Definition

Blight is sudden, severe, and extensive spotting, discoloration, wilting, or destruction of leaves, flowers, stems, fruits, or entire plants.

Etymology. 1611, origin obscure, apparently emerged into literary speech from the talk of gardeners and farmers, perhaps ult. from O.E. blęce, blęcšu, a scrofulous skin condition and/or from O.N. blikna "become pale." Used in a general way of agricultural diseases, sometimes with suggestion of "invisible baleful influence;" hence figurative sense of "anything which withers hopes or prospects or checks prosperity" (1852). The verb in this sense is from 1712. Hence slang blighter (1896) "contemptible fellow," but often jocular.

Discussion

Blights are historically and economically among the world's most destructive plant diseases.