Introduction
- Plant Diseases are caused by Bacteria, Fungi , Virus and Other sources
- Disease can affect the yields through reduction of photosynthetic
area in early stages and late infestations around booting stage.
- Disease causes reduction on photosynthate flow in the plant (equivalent
to blocking of pipes)
Disease Symptoms
- A disease symptom in a plant is expressed in the form of a distinct
localized structural change on the host tissue.
- The changes are cytological, histological & morphological in
nature.
- The following symptoms are important for our discussion.
- Discoloration : Change in color of whole plant or parts and the intensity
of Discoloration depends on intensity of disease.EX: - Yellowing, browning,
blackening, silvering and chlorosis.
- These symptoms are usually more in shoots, buds, and fruits, less
in stem and roots.
- Spots and short holes: Spots vary in size and color and margin
of spots also vary in pattern and color.
- Margins may be circular and irregular spots may be isolated and coalesce
after development. Spots generally occur in leaves but sometimes also
on stems, leaf sheath, petioles, calyx and fruits.
- The spots on the leaves produce a hole due to death and drying of
tissue and finally fall off resulting in a shot hole.
- Scorch: Sometimes it misleads to toxic effects of foliar sprays of
pesticides resulting death of tissue.
Factors Influencing Disease Symptoms
Host parasite relation
The intensity of the disease depends upon the susceptibility /Resistance
of the host to the pathogen.
Environmental factors
Can be grouped as Soil borne, Seed borneand Air borne
Soil borne
Soil pH, Structure, Texture Moisture, Organic matter, fertility, cultural
operations, Irrigation.
Seed borne
Seed Moisture, storage environment
Air borne
Temperature, RH, and Rainfall Wind.
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