Wood-rotting fungi cause losses over longer periods of time than most other apple diseases. Losses result mainly from breakage of branches and trunks due to a decline in the structural integrity of the wood. Fungal pathogens that colonize wood alter its structural integrity through enzymatic digestion of wood cell wall components. Some of the same fungi that cause wood rot can cause dieback as well.
The two most common symptoms of wood rot are the breakage of limbs or main …