05 Introduction To Plant Pathology

Introduction to Plant
Pathology
What is a plant disease?

A plant disease is any abnormal condition
that alters the appearance or function of a
plant. It is a physiological process that
affects some or all plant functions. Disease
may also reduce yield and quality of
harvested product.
Disease is a process or a change that
occurs over time. It does not occur
instantly like injury.
What is a plant disease?

Visible effects of disease on plants are
called symptoms. Any detectable changes
in color, shape, and/or functions of the
plant in response to a pathogen or diseasecausing agent is a symptom.
Signs of plant disease are physical
evidence of the pathogen, for example,
fungal fruiting bodies, bacterial ooze, or
nematode cysts. Signs also can help with
plant disease identification.
What causes plant disease?

Infectious plant diseases are caused by
living organisms that attack and obtain
their nutrition from the plant they infect.
The parasitic organism that causes a
disease is a pathogen. Numerous fungi,
bacteria, viruses, and nematodes are
pathogens of corn and soybean in Iowa.
The plant invaded by the pathogen and
serving as its food source is referred to as
a host.
Types of pathogens
Fungi
Viruses
Bacteria
Nematodes
Role of the environment

A favorable environment is critically
important for disease development even
the most susceptible plants exposed to
huge amounts of a pathogen will not
develop disease unless environmental
conditions are favorable.
ho
ir o
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t
Pa
en
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The Disease Triangle
En
v
n
ge
Host
The Disease Triangle
Soybean rust
Groups of plant pathogens fungi
Vast majority are

beneficial
Can cause plant, human,

and livestock diseases
Most cannot be seen
without a microscope
Lack chlorophyll
Composed of growing
structure of delicate,
threadlike filaments
called hyphae
Groups of plant pathogens bacteria
Extremely small organism

requiring microscope to
be seen
Bacteria population can
increase in number in
short time period
Cells clump together in
masses called colonies
Obtain food from dead or
organic
matter
decaying
Spread plant
to plant
by wind-driven rain
living
tissue through natural plant openings
or
Gain
entrance
www.foodmate.net
Groups of plant pathogens viruses
Most familiar because

they cause human and
animal diseases such as
influenza, polio, rabies,
smallpox, and warts
Cause some destructive
plant diseases
Measure only about onemillionth of an inch in size
Are not complete living
systems
Transmitted by insects which are called
vectors
Survive only in living cells
University of Florida
Groups of plant pathogens nematodes

Round, slender,
threadlike worms
Some are parasites
on animals, insects,
fungi, other
nematodes, and
plants
Plant-parasitic
nematodes have a
stylet
Most live in the soil
Disease cycle
Survival
Production
of survival
structures
Symptoms
Inoculum
produced
Dispersal
Colonizatio
n
Infection
Adapted from P. Vincelli, 2005
Comparison of disease
cycles
Nemato
des
Fungi
Bacteria
Viruses
Survival
Crop
residue
Soil
Alt. hosts
-
Crop residue
Soil
Alt. hosts
Insect
vectors
Alt. hosts
Insect
vectors
Crop residue
Soil
-
Dispersal
Wind
Rain
Insects
Wind
Rain
Insects
Insects
Tillage
Equipment
Water runoff
Infection
Directly
Wounds
Insect
Wounds
Insect
Insect
Directly
-
Inoculum
Source of inoculum varies for each
disease
May be produced on residues left in the
field
Present in the soil
Present in weeds or other crops in the
area
Present in or on the seed
Present in soil sticking to equipment or
tools
Carried by wind or water
Carried by insect vectors
Spread of inoculum
Two ways
1. Plant placed in soil that contains a
pathogen
2. Inoculum moves from its source to host
plant
Keith Weller, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Penetration of inoculum and

infection
Infection occurs when a pathogen successfully
enters a plant and grows, reproduces, and
spreads within the plant
Pathogens enter a host through natural openings,
wounds on plant surfaces, or by penetrating
Pustule
Spore
directly
into
the plantMycelial
Penetration
Sporulation
germination
Syngenta
growth
formation
Secondary cycles
Some diseases have only one cycle during the
growing season (often root rots)
Some diseases develop secondary or
repeating cycles during the growing season
(often foliar diseases)
Number of cycles
depends on the
pathogen, susceptibility
of the host, and
environmental conditions
Pathogen survival
Pathogens survive season to season in:
Soil
Crop residue
Weed or noncrop hosts
Seed or vegetative plant parts
Insects
Mild climates
Summary
Understanding the difference between a sign and
a symptom is key in identifying a plant disease
A plant disease cannot develop if a susceptible
host, pathogen, and favorable environment do not
occur simultaneously
The major plant pathogens responsible for disease
development in plants are fungi, bacteria, viruses,
and nematodes
The disease cycle describes the interaction of the
pathogen with the host

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05 Introduction To Plant Pathology

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Introduction to Plant

What is a plant disease?

What is a plant disease?

What causes plant disease?

Role of the environment

The Disease Triangle

The Disease Triangle

Groups of plant pathogens fungi

Vast majority are

Can cause plant, human,

Groups of plant pathogens bacteria

Extremely small organism

Groups of plant pathogens viruses

Most familiar because

Groups of plant pathogens nematodes

Adapted from P. Vincelli, 2005

Keith Weller, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Penetration of inoculum and

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