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Landmarks in Plant Pathology

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Landmarks in Plant Pathology

Early Recognition of Plant Diseases

c. 300 BC
c. AD 50
c. AD 700
c. AD 1200

Theophrastus of Lesbos references to plant diseases in Historia

plantarum and De causis plantarum.
Caius Plinius Secundus references to common diseases such as
mildew and rusts of cereals in Historia naturalis.
Cassianus Bassus Geoponica a compilation of Byzantine
agriculture with many references to plant diseases.
Ibn-al Awam Kitab al-Felahah Arabic treatise from Seville
with a chapter on problems of regional fruit crops.

Beginnings of Plant Pathology

1665
1755
1794
1802
1807
18451849

Robert Hooke Micrographia contains first illustration of a

microscopic plant pathogen (rose rust).
Mathieu Tillet demonstrates seed-borne nature of wheat bunt
(Tilletia caries).
J.J. Plenk publishes Physiologia et Pathologia Plantarum containing a classification of plant diseases based on symptoms.
William Forsyth introduces lime sulphur for control of mildew
on fruit trees first example of generally used fungicide.
I.-B. Prevost publishes first experimental proof of fungal pathogenicity on plants.
Potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) epidemics in Ireland.

CAB International 2002. Plant Pathologists Pocketbook

(eds J.M. Waller, J.M. Lenn and S.J. Waller)

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1853
1858
1865/66
18681882
1874
18781885
1885
18861898
1889

Landmarks in Plant Pathology

Anton de Bary publishes Unterschungen ber die brandpilze

and established the role of fungi as plant pathogens.
Julius Kuhn publishes Die Krankheiten der Kulturgewachse
the first plant pathology text.
De Bary demonstrates heteroecism in Puccinia graminis.
Coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) epidemics in Sri Lanka and
classic studies on its aetiology by Marshal Ward.
Paul Soraur publishes first edition of Handbuch fr Pflanzenkrankheiten of which there have been many subsequent editions.
Vine downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) epidemics in France
precipitate introduction of Bordeaux mixture by Millardet.
J.C. Arthur provides first proof of bacterial pathogenicity to
plants with fire blight (Erwinia amylovora).
Tobacco mosaic recognized as a virus disease transmitted by
contagious living fluid by Mayer, Ivanovski and Beijerinck.
Hot water treatment of seed introduced for control of loose smut
of wheat (Ustilago tritici).

Development of Basis for Modern Plant Pathology

1891/92
1894
1904
1907
1908
1913

1914
1920

1929
1934
1937

First plant pathology journals (Zietschrift fr Pflanzenkrankheiten and Revista di Patologia Vegetale) published.
Jacob Eriksson demonstrates host-specific special forms of cereal
rusts.
Rowland Biffen demonstrates Mendelian inheritance of
resistance to rust in cereals.
First university department of plant pathology founded at
Cornell University, New York.
American Phytopathology Society founded.
Recognition of physiologic races of Puccinia graminis by
Stakman.
First use of organo-mercurial fungicides for seed application in
Germany.
First International Phytopathological Convention of Rome held
but resolutions never ratified.
Imperial Bureau of Mycology founded in UK (a forebear of
CABI Bioscience) production of Review of Plant Pathology (as
Review of Applied Mycology) commences 2 years later.
E.F. Smith publishes Introduction to Bacterial Diseases of
Plants.
International Convention for the Protection of Plants in
Rome produces first limited internationally agreed protocols for
restricting the spread of plant diseases.
Dithiocarbamate fungicides developed and patented by Du Pont.
F.C. Bawden and N.W. Pirie establish nucleoprotein nature of
viruses.

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Landmarks in Plant Pathology

1946
1951
1952
1963

1965
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1977/78
1986
1992

Flor establishes gene-for-gene hypothesis for genetic interaction of resistance and virulence for flax rust Melampsora lini.
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
founded as first of several regional plant protection organizations.
International Plant Protection Convention submitted to the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and agreed in principle.
Annual Review of Phytopathology begins.
J.E. Vanderplank publishes Plant Diseases: Epidemics and
Control.
First example of biological control of a disease Heterobasidion
annosum by Peniophora gigantea.
Discovery of first systemic fungicide, carboxin.
First recognition of phytoplasmas (mycoplasma-like organisms)
as plant pathogens.
First International Congress of Plant Pathology held in London.
First computer simulation program for plant disease epidemics.
Southern corn leaf blight epidemic on hybrid (Tms) maize in
USA.
Deiner establishes potato spindle tuber as first recognized viroid
disease.
Plant Disease: An Advanced Treatise (3 Vols) by Horsfall and
Cowling published.
Plants genetically transformed to express virus coat proteins
shown to be resistant to same virus.
First examples of plant resistance genes isolated.

General References
Ainsworth, G.C. (1981) An Introduction to the History of Plant Pathology. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, 315 pp.
Carefoot, G.L. and Sprot, E.R. (1967) Famine in the Wind. Rand McNally, Chicago, USA.
Large, E.C. (1940) Advance of the Fungi. Jonathan Cape, London, UK, 488 pp.
Parris, G.K. (1968) A Chronology of Plant Pathology. Johnson & Sons, Mississippi, USA.

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