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 • Jan. 18, 2024

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 • May 31, 2023

Note:—There are three well defined diseases affecting gladiolus bulbs during growth and in storage, soft rot, hard rot, and scab.

From The Gladiolus A Practical Treatise on the Culture of the Gladiolus by Crawford, Matthew

If they are kept in too warm and wet a place, the heads will decay fast, in a black, soft rot.

From Cabbages and Cauliflowers: How to Grow Them A Practical Treatise, Giving Full Details On Every Point, Including Keeping And Marketing The Crop by Gregory, James John Howard