late blight

American  

noun

Plant Pathology.

1. a disease of plants, especially potatoes, celery, etc., characterized by spotting, blighting, and withering or decay of the entire plant, caused by any of several fungi, as Phytophthora infestans or Septoria apii.

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late blight Scientific  

/ lāt /

1. A disease of potato plants caused by the oomycete organism Phytophthora infestans and characterized by decay of the foliage and tubers. An outbreak of late blight led to widespread famine in Ireland in 1845-1850.

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Etymology

Origin of late blight

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The researchers saw a spike in late blight disease reported in 1950s documents.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2024

The good news about late blight in tomatoes — the disease best known as the cause of the 19th-century Irish potato famine — is that it doesn’t happen every year.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2021

You might sacrifice a few tomatoes but it's worth it because when a deadly disease like late blight makes the rounds in your area, good air movement can help prevent its spread.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2021

The fungus, called late blight, was a variation of the disease that caused the Great Potato Famine leading to failed crops and starvation in Ireland and parts of Europe from 1845 to 1852.

From Washington Times • Apr. 22, 2017

Quality.—Stock should be practically free from serious external imperfections, including late blight rot, common scab, sunburn, frost injury, bruises, knobbiness, second growth, etc.

From Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916 Embracing the Transactions of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society,Volume 44, from December 1, 1915, to December 1, 1916, Including the Twelve Numbers of "The Minnesota Horticulturist" for 1916 by Latham, A. W.