noun

• A serious bacterial disease of plants of the rose family, especially fruit trees, giving the leaves a scorched appearance.

  The bacterium is the Gram-negative Erwinia amylovora

  ‘Orchardists are concerned the bacterial disease fireblight could be imported into Australia, with devastating effects on the local fruit industry.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Australia currently bans the import of New Zealand apples because it fears the fireblight bacterial disease.’
  • ‘Australian growers remain concerned about the risk of the disease fireblight being introduced to their orchards.’
  • ‘Growers fear imported apples may bring in the disease fireblight.’
  • ‘In the latter case, growers will be much cheered by the news yesterday that Japan is finally to end its non-tariff barrier to our fruit by dropping the pretence that it poses a fireblight risk to their own.’