soft rot

American  

noun

Plant Pathology.

1. a disease of fruits and vegetables, characterized by a soft, watery decay of affected parts, caused by any of several bacteria or fungi.

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soft rot British  

noun

1. any of various bacterial or fungal plant diseases characterized by watery disintegration of fruits, roots, etc

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Etymology

Origin of soft rot

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The researchers collected potato stems or tubers that exhibited symptoms of black leg or soft rot -- including wilting, stunting, black lesions and rotting tubers, among others, -- from 26 potato fields in Pennsylvania.

From Science Daily

What keeps Australian growers up at night are diseases like powdery scab, as well as rot diseases like black leg, soft rot and pink rot.

From Salon

It’s OK if some mold forms inside it, as not all fungi cause soft rots—diseases that produce wet spots that spread, become mushy and turn black.

From Scientific American

The fungus, known by stomach-turning names such as “white mold” and “watery soft rot,” manifests as a cottony, cream-colored fuzz that attaches to stems, where it gouges wound-like lesions.

From New York Times

He demonstrated that on a recent day as he poked his finger into the soft rot on a wood beam as he stood outside the building.

From Washington Times