Definition

Noun: 1. A plant disease affecting stems: "Stem canker" is a specific type of plant disease, often caused by fungi or bacteria, characterized by the formation of sunken, necrotic (dead) lesions or cankers on the stems of a plant. 2. A disease of potatoes: Specifically, "stem canker" refers to a rhizoctonia disease of potatoes, where the fungus Rhizoctonia solani causes dark, sunken cankers on underground stems and stolons.

Usage Examples

• General Plant Disease:
  • The rose bushes were destroyed by a severe case of stem canker.
  • Stem canker can girdle a young tree, cutting off the flow of nutrients and water.
• Specific to Potatoes:
  • The farmer identified stem canker as the cause of the poor potato yield.
  • Stem canker on potatoes often leads to misshapen tubers.

Advanced Usage

• "Resistant to stem canker": Describes a plant variety bred or selected to not easily contract the disease.
  • This new soybean cultivar is resistant to stem canker.
• "Stem canker infection": Refers to the event or process of the disease establishing itself in the plant.
  • Wet conditions favor stem canker infection.

Variants and Related Words

• Canker (n): A general term for a plant disease causing localized dead areas on stems or branches.
  • Citrus canker is a serious bacterial disease.
• Rhizoctonia (n): The genus name of the fungus that causes stem canker in potatoes and other diseases.
• Black scurf: A related symptom of the same potato disease (), appearing as hard, black crusts on the tuber surface.

Synonyms

• Stem lesion: A more general term for any damaged or diseased area on a stem.
• Stem rot: A broader category of diseases where the stem tissue decays; stem canker is a form of stem rot.

Related Phrases

• To develop stem canker: The process of a plant showing symptoms of the disease.
  • The seedlings began to develop stem canker after the heavy rains.
• Stem canker control: Refers to the methods (chemical, cultural, biological) used to manage the disease.
  • Crop rotation is an important practice for stem canker control.

Noun

1. rhizoctinia disease of potatoes