A * gall disease caused by the soil-borne bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Galls are produced above and below ground on a wide range of host plants - particularly fruit trees. It is not generally a serious disease and even large galls on fruit trees seem to have little economic effect. The disease is more serious on nursery stock. Careful inspection of fruit-tree nursery stock and the use of resistant root stocks are helpful control measures. The galls are of interest to physiologists because they display * habituation and are self-sufficient for auxin when grown in culture. See also genetic engineering , tumour-inducing principle. |
