Plant Disease and Environment

Disease = disturbance from plant pathogen or environmental factor that interferes with plant physiology
Causes changes in plant appearance or yield loss Disease results from: Direct damage to cells Toxins, growth regulators, or other byproducts that affect metabolism Use of nutrients and water or interference with their uptake

Plant Root Systems Damaged by Pythium Fungus

Causative Agents of Plant Disease Infectious Agents

Fungi Bacteria Viruses Nematodes Mycoplasmas Parasitic plants Protozoa

Fungi

Fungi
Many different types (root rot fungi, leaf spots, rusts, seedling damp-off, vascular wilts, etc..) Foliar vs soilborne Many different and complex life cycles Facultative organisms some may colonize live plant tissue and may grow and reproduce in dead tissue as well May be many different isolates

Fungal Isolates
Different genotypes of the same pathogen Can differ in their virulence (effect on plant) Detect differences by DNA analyses

Fungi
Fragile structures: need moisture to avoid drying out

Choanephora Fruit Rot on Cucumber note white fungal mycelium

Fusarium on Watermelon

Disease Invasion of Field following Heavy Rainfall, 2003 season

Disease Symptoms on Seedling

Top wilted

Lesions and vascular tissue damage in lower stem

Isolated Fusarium spp. Pythium spp. Rhizoctonia spp.

Roots not too bad

Early Blight of Tomato

Impatiens -- Root Knot and Rhizoctonia

Bacteria
Many different types (blights, leaf spots, cankers, crown galls, vascular wilts, soft rots, etc.) Rapid exponential growth, many reproduce by fission, ultimate r-strategists Often need lab analysis to diagnose whether problem is caused by fungi or bacteria

Many Beneficial Bacteria in Soil: Rhizobacteria from Cowpea Roots

Viruses need to enter plant tissue, transmitted by:

Seed Tools used in pruning, grafting, etc. Vectors
-- Insects (aphids, whiteflies, thrips, etc. -- Nematodes -- Mites Viruses may have reservoirs in alternate plant hosts

Cassava Mosaic

Corky Ringspot transmitted by nematode vector

Corky Ringspot

Causative Agents of Plant Disease Infectious Agents

Fungi Bacteria Usually studied in weed science or nematology Viruses Nematodes Mycoplasmas Parasitic plants (dodder vs cranberry) Protozoa

Causative Agents of Plant Disease Infectious Agents

Fungi Bacteria Viruses Nematodes Mycoplasmas Parasitic plants (dodder vs cranberry) Protozoa

Mycoplasmas
Relative of bacteria Needs a vector Lethal yellowing of coconut (leafhopper vector)

Causative Agents of Plant Disease Non Infectious Agents

Air pollution (ozone, N oxides, SO2) Nutrient deficiencies Toxic elements and chemicals Chilling injury

Environment affects fungal and bacterial diseases

Incidence = how many plants have the disease Severity = how bad the disease is on the plants that have it

Disease Triangle

Pathogen
Isolates ?

Host
Cultivars ?

Disease Triangle
Environment

Pathogen

Host

Must have correct combination of all 3 to have disease

Exponential Growth from low initial inoculum if environment is favorable

Predicting Plant Disease Progress

Exponential growth Numerous other models are proposed for population growth (see Carroll et al., 1990, Ch. 9) Weather forecasting (moisture, humidity) = important in predicting disease progress and epidemics

Environmental and cultural factors affecting buildup of fungal and bacterial plant pathogens
Moisture Temperature Dispersal agents Soil pH Other

Moisture
Activates resting stages Affects germination of spores and penetration into host Water on leaves Humidity Splashing water distributes inoculum Leaf wetness = best indicator but difficult to measure

Moisture
Activates resting stages Affects germination of spores and penetration into host Water on leaves Humidity Splashing water distributes inoculum Leaf wetness = best indicator but difficult to measure Rainy, cloudy conditions = important for spread and growth of many diseases

Wilted area followed direction of earlier water flow into field

Wilt on Pepper Seedling caused by Pythium following Hurricane Frances, 2004

Temperature
Affects growth rates Some pathogens adapted to certain temp. ranges Refrigeration = important for management

Dispersal Agents
Bacteria, fungi are limited in mobility, need to be moved by: Water Wind People, machinery Insects, other animals

Environmental and cultural factors affecting buildup of fungal and bacterial plant pathogens
Moisture Temperature Dispersal agents Soil pH specific requirements for many soilborne pathogens Other --- Widespread planting of genetically homogeneous crops can favor epidemic -- N level = unclear; depends on situation

Management of Plant Disease Strategies

Eliminate or reduce initial inoculum, or delay its introduction (preventive) Slow the rate of increase, shorten exposure to favorable conditions

Management of Plant Disease

Sanitation Fungicides Host plant resistance Crop rotation Cultural practices Temperature Biological control Organic amendments Improved plant health and nutrition

Sanitation (aimed at excluding pest)

Avoid infested sites Clean soil, planting material, tools, etc. Inspection and quarantine Remove infected debris Tissue culture can provide disease-free planting material

Nematode Infection of Banana Planting Material

Fungicides
Bactericides, if target is bacteria Dusts, sprays, fumigants, etc. Foliar, soil, seed, wound, or post-plant application Preventative slows rate of increase Insecticides may also be useful for managing insect vectors

Host Plant Resistance

Caution: pathogens can have multiple isolates Vertical resistance against some genotypes of a pathogen Horizontal resistance not limited to certain genotypes, across all isolates Host genetic diversity is important to slow epidemics

Crop Rotation
Useful vs soilborne diseases Residues of some plants (e.g. cabbage family) may be toxic to some pathogens

Cultural Practices to Minimize Spread of Disease

Favorable irrigation practices (drip vs overhead) Moisture Timing of Planting management Wider row spacings Eradicate alternate hosts for viruses
Important to minimize water and humidity to limit disease spread

Snapdragon plant rows wiped out by soilborne disease inoculum moved by water

Untreated border area

Direction of surface water flow

Temperature
Heat for soil sterilization Hot water treatment of planting material Solarization Refrigeration to slow disease progress in harvested material

Solarization affects Rhizoctonia in Impatiens

Management of Plant Disease

Sanitation Fungicides Host plant resistance Crop rotation Cultural practices Temperature

Biological control Rhizobacteria may interfere with colonization of plant roots by fungi and bacteria Organic amendments (avoid diseased plants in mulch, etc.) Improved plant health and nutrition

References
Text, pp. 187-196. Agrios G.N. 1997. Plant Pathology. Academic Press, San Diego. Carroll et al. 1990. Ch. 9.