Fire Blight : The Disease and its Causative Agent, Erwinia amylovora

Fire Blight is a bacterial disease that is particularly destructive to apple and pear trees, but which also attacks other plants, including woody ornamentals such as pyracantha or cotoneaster.

It is a significant disease in all temperate regions of the world and is of major quarantine significance.

Historically, it has also played a major role in the development of the subject of bacterial plant pathology, as the pathogen, erwinia amylovora, has been used as a model organism for studies on plant pathogenic bacteria.

This work is divided into three parts. The first addresses the disease, including its epidemiology, distribution, host range, detection and infection.

The second considers the pathogen, including its biochemistry, genetics and pathogenicity.

The final part reviews control, including chemical and biological methods, breeding for resistance, the use of transgenic plants and prediction modelling.

Written by leading research workers from the USA, Europe and New Zealand, it is a reference aimed at students, research workers and advisors in bacteriology, plant pathology and horticulture.