AGRI Grovestudies
Plant Pathology
Plant pathology or phytopathology is the science, which deals with the plant diseases.
The term plant pathology or Phytopathology has been derived from three Greek Phyton = plant Pathos = ailments/suffering/disease Logos = discourse/knowledge/Study
Plant pathology is the branch of agricultural, botanical or biological science which deals with the causes, etiology (aetiology), resulting in losses and management methods of plant diseases.
Science and Art
Concept of Disease
The term disease is derived from French word
• Dis = nothing
• Ease = comfortable (lack of comfort)
Plant disease is a malfuntioning process in plant body caused by
continuous irritation by some agents (plant pathogen) which results
in some suffering or symptoms production.
Plant disease is any abnormal condition that alters the appearance or
function of a plant.
Disease may also reduce yield and quality of harvested product.
What is Pathogen ?
Patho = Disease
Gen = Generating
Any agent or entity which can induce disease in plants. Eg.-Fungi,
Bacteria, Virus, Vivoids, Mollicutes.
How pathogen affect plants
1) By utilizing host cell contents.
2) By killing host through
their enzyme, toxins etc.
3) By weakening the host.
Scope of Plant Pathology :-
Study of etiology, symptoms, predisposing factors and recurrence
of such diseases.
Plant pathology deals with different aspects of plant diseases.
The branch focuses on understanding how hosts, pathogens, and
environments interact to cause plant diseases and on
understanding how to control plant diseases.
Objectives of Plant Pathology
The science of plant pathology has four main objectives:
1. To study living, non-living and environmental causes of diseases
or disorders of the plants. (Etiology)
2. To study the mechanism of plant disease development.
(Pathogensis)
3. To study interaction between host/susceptible and the pathogens.
(Epidemiology)
4. To develop systems of management of plant diseases and reducing
losses caused by them. (control).
In 1845 “Irish famine” the late blight of potato caused by
“Phytophthora intestans”.
In 1842-43 “Bengal famine” the “Leaf spot of Rice” caused by
“Helminthosposium oryzai”.
History of Plant Pathology with special reference
- Dutch worker Leeuwenhock (1675) invented the microscope and through it observed and first described bacteria in 1683. (father of microbiology).
- Prevost (1755-1819) - he proved that bunt of wheat caused by a fungus.
- E.J. Bulter who is also known as the ‘Father of Plant Pathology’. d a classic text book, ‘Fungi and Diseases in Plants’ in 1918.
- Anton de-Barry (1831-1888) worked on Late blight disease of Potato “Father of Modern Plant Pathology”.
- Prof. P.A. Millardet (1882) of France discovered Bordeaux mixture for the control of ‘Late blight of Potato’ and ‘Downey mildew disease of grapes.’
- B.B. Mundkur started work on control of cotton wilt through varietal resistance. ‘Indian Phyto pathological Society’. a text book entitled, ‘Fungi and Plant Diseases’.
- M.K. Patel (Father of Indian plant bacteriology)
- Yeshwant Laxman Nene reported “Khaira” disease of rice. authored the book "Fungicides in Plant Disease Control“
- Dr. Karam Chand Mehta (Father of Indian Rust) investigated the life cycle of cereal rusts in India. Wrote monograph on "Further studies on cereal rust in India''.
- S N Das Gupta carried studies on black tip of mango.
- A. Mahadevan wrote the book ''Microorganism in Diseased Plants“.
- CD Mayee Wrote 'Phytopathometery'.
- RS Singh Wrote ''Plant diseases", a book known as ‘Bible of Plant Pathology’.
Terms and Concepts in Plant Pathology
Disease:
Any malfunctioning of host cells and tissues that result
from continuous irritation by a pathogenic agent or environmental
Disorder:
The diseases caused by the deficiency of nutrients or
unfavourable environmental factors are sometimes termed as
disorders or physiological disorders.
Pathogen:
An entity, usually a micro-organism that can incite
disease. agent that causes pathos
(ailment, suffering) or damage.
Host:
An organisms which provide shelter and nourishment to
another living organism.
Pathogenesis:
this is the process or chain of events where by disease
development takes place.
Parasite:
Organisms which derive the materials they need for
growth from living plants (host) are called parasites.
Obligate parasite
: A organisms which derived nutrient only from
living organisms/host. Ex- rust, powdery mildew and downey
mildew.
Facultative parasite:
An organism that is usually saprophyte but
under certain conditions can uptake nutrient from living organism.
Ex- rhizopus.
Obligate saprophyte:
A organisms which derived nutrient only
from dead materials (saprophyte). Ex- pilobolus spp
Hypertrophy:
Excessive growth due to increase in size of cells.
Hypersenstivity:
Excessive sensitivity of plant tissues to certain
pathogens. affected cells are killed quickly,
Blight:
Burning appearance of a plant all in parts or its organs such as leaf,
twig, stem & other Arial parts of the host is called blight.
Early blight- when blight stand from mid of leaf. Ex- ‘early
blight of potato (Alternaria solani)’.
Late blight- when blight stand from margin of leaf. Ex- ‘late
blight of potato (Phytophthora infestans)’.
Latent virus: A virus that does not induce symptoms in its host.
Latent infection: The stage in which a host is infected with a
pathogen but does not show any symptoms.
Saprophyte: In organism which lives on dead and decaying organic
matter.
Susceptibility: The inability of a plant to resist the effect of a
pathogen.
Susceptible: A plant or species which is incapable of resisting the
effect of a pathogen.
Resistance: The ability of an organism to overcome, completely or
partially the effect of a pathogen.
Infection: Establishment of the pathogen in the host.
Infections disease: A disease caused by a pathogen which can
spread from a diseased to a healthy plant.
Pathogenesis:
Pathogenesis is a series of events that happened in succession during a
pathogenic relationship of a pathogen and host which leads to disease, refers to the origin, development and
resultant effects of disease from the initial appearance of disease.
The term pathogenesis comes from Greek word for
‘disease’ and ‘beginning’. The study of pathogenesis is important to
diagnose and manage diseases.
Causes / factors affecting Disease development
Causes of plant diseases
Plant diseases are caused by a variety of pathogens.
The word pathogen can be broadly defined as any agent or factor that incites
‘pathos’ or disease in an organism.
1. Abiotic (Inanimate) factors
They include mainly the deficiency or excess of nutrients, light, moisture,
aeration, abnormality in soil condition, atmospheric impunities etc. Examples
are: Black tip of mango (due to SO2 toxicity), Khaira disease of rice (due
to Zn deficiency).
II. Mesobiotic causes
These are the disease incitants which are neither living nor non-living.
Viruses: They are infections agents made up of one type of nucleic
acid (RNA or DNA) enclosed in a protein coat. Examples of viral
diseases of plants are: Potato leaf roll, leaf curl of tomato and chillies,
and mosaic disease of many plants.
Biotic (Animate) causes
This category includes the pathogens which are animate or living or
cellular organisms. They are:
1) Prokaryotes like bacteria
2) Eukaryotes are the organisms with true nucleus.
i) Fungi:
ii Protozoa
iii) Algae
Disease triangle
The interaction of host, pathogen and environment results in disease
development. It is generally illustrated by a triangle, also called a
disease triangle.
Disease Development in Plant Population
1.Host:
2.Pathogen:
3.Environment:
.
4.Time:
Disease cycle
The chain of events involved in disease development including the
stages of development of pathogen & effect of the disease on the host.
Steps is disease cycle
There are five steps of disease cycle as given below
1. Inoculation
The arrival / transfer of a pathogen on to a host is called inoculation.
2. Penetration
The initial invation by a pathogen on to a host. Entry of pathogen
inside / within the host is known as penetration.
3. Infection :- Entry and establishment of a pathogen inside / within the host is
known as infection.
4. Invation
Spread of pathogen within the host is known as invation.
5. Growth & reproduction
Growth refers to irreversible change in body / structure of
pathogen.
Classification of plant diseases:
Disease can be classified by many ways some are given below
1. Based on extent to which disease is associated.
2. Based on types of crop.
3. Based on infected plant part.
4. Based on natural perpetuation and mode of infection.
5. Based on transmission.
6. Based on types of symptoms.
7. Based on severity of disease/occurrence of disease.
8. Based on causal organism.
9. Based on cause of plant disease.
1. FUNGI
1) Fungi are eukaryotic, Achlorophyllous organisms that may
reproduce sexually and asexually and whose filamentous branched
somatic structures are typically surrounded by cell walls containing
chitin or cellulose.
Fungi are
2) Eukaryotic cells
3) Achlorophyllous(lack chlorophyll pigments.
4) Flamentous branched somatic structures and multi-cellular
microorganism,
5) Cell wall mainly composed of carbohydrates namely chitin
6) Reproduction by both sexually and asexually. Both sexual and
asexual reproduction often results in production of spores.
8) Habitate may be free-living as saprophytes
9) All are heterotrophic - They are heterotrophs that acquire nutrients
by absorption.
10.Type of nutrition
Mostly saprophytic (they absorb soluble organic food), they are
grow on dead & decaying materials like- tree bark, dung, wood .
11) Parasitic - absorb nutrients from cells of living hosts (plants &
animals).
12). Hyphae is a tubular, transparent filament, usually branched,
composed of an outer cell wall . Hyphae are divided into compartments or cells by cross walls called
septa and are generally called as septate (with cross wall).
13. The hyphal mass or network of hyphae constituting the body
(thallus) of the fungus is called as mycelium
Virus
contains DNA or RNA as genetic material and a protein coat, whereas
viroids
have no protein coat, but only RNA as their nucleic acid.
This is the reason why viroids are carried inside viruses. e.g., hepatitis-D is a viroid that is carried in the capsid of hepatitis-B virus.
Algae: Algae are eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular organisms
and mostly occur in aquatic environments.
They contain chlorophyll and are photosynthetic.
They reproduce by asexual and sexual processes.
The study of algae is called phycology or algology
Name of the diseases Causal organism Name of the diseases Causal organism
Late blight of potato Phytophthora infestans
Rice blast disease Pyricularia grisea
Brown spot of rice Dreschlera oryzae
Coffee rust Haemilea vestarix
Downy mildew of grapes Plasmopara viticola
Rust of wheat Puccinia graminis tritici