Bacterial canker of poplars in Britain: The cause of the disease and the role of leaf‐scars in infection

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Bacterial canker and die‐back of poplars in Britain is caused by Aplano‐bacterium populi Ridé. Pseudomonas syringae (van Hall), which has been suggested as the causal agent, plays at most only a minor role in canker lesions. It may cause a shoot blight in spring, a distinct pathological condition frequently associated with bacterial canker.Marked variation in infectivity of bacterial slime between seasons and at different dates of collection within one year appears to be the main cause for situations in which varieties, resistant in trials to inoculation with slime, have proved susceptible in the field.Leaf scars afford the main avenues for infection but their infectibility declines rapidly during October. The implications of the temporal separation of availability of natural inoculum and available infection sites are discussed.