downy mildew

American  

[dou-nee mil-doo, -dyoo] / ˈdaʊ ni ˈmɪlˌdu, -ˌdyu /

noun

1. Also called false mildew.  any fungus of the family Peronosporaceae, causing many plant diseases and producing a white, downy mass of conidiophores, usually on the under surface of the leaves of the host plant.

2. Plant Pathology. a disease of plants, characterized by mildewed, distorted, and yellowed foliage, caused by any of several fungi of the family Peronosporaceae, as of the genera Peronospora and Phytophthora.

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downy mildew British  

noun

1. a serious plant disease, characterized by yellowish patches on the undersurface of the leaves, caused by the parasitic fungi of the family Peronosporaceae, such as Peronospora destructor: affects onions, cauliflower, lettuce, etc

2. any of the fungi causing this disease

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downy mildew Scientific  

/ dou′nē /

1. A disease of plants caused by oomycete organisms of the order Peronosporales and characterized by gray, velvety patches of spores on the lower surfaces of leaves. Downy mildew of the grapevine nearly destroyed the French wine industry in the 1870s, spurring the development of the first chemical pesticides used on plants.

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Etymology

Origin of downy mildew

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does downy-mildew compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• downy mildew vs. powdery mildew

Example Sentences

Disease-resistance abbreviations like A and DM indicate that a plant is resistant to anthracnose and downy mildew respectively, crucial information if your garden has had issues with these.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 12, 2024

"Our hypothesis is that these bladder cells also protect against other plant diseases like downy mildew, a fungal disease which severely limits quinoa yields," says Max Moog.

From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2023

The Italian government last month allocated a modest one million euros to help grape producers hurt by downy mildew.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2023

For example, some organic lettuce seeds have an inherent tolerance to downy mildew and resistance to lettuce aphids.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2021

The two leaf troubles are respectively known as blight or downy mildew and the Macrosporium disease.

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