Blight
Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. Accordingly, many diseases that primarily exhibit this symptom are called blights. Several notable examples are:
Alternaria solani
Though the causal pathogen is distributed worldwide and can cause crop yield reductions, early blight has never caused widespread famine or other sudden and major detrimental effects on humanity. The disease is not to be confused with late blight, which is caused by the oomycete "Phytophthora infestans." Late blight disease together with the socio-economic situation at the time was responsible for the Irish potato famine.