Laboratory Exercise Number 1

Causes of Plants Diseases

1. Identify 5 disease of plants caused by bacteria, fungus, virus, viroids, mycoplasma, parasitic seed plants
and nematodes.
• Name: White blister/White rust (Albugo candida)
Factors conducive to spread: Optimum conditions for disease development are 3-4 hours in mild
temperatures (6- 24C).
Hosts: members of brassica family e.g. broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese
cabbage, radish and cruciferous weeds
Symptoms: White blisters and swellings on leaves and heads of affected plants; blisters consist of
masses of white dust-like spores; up to 100% losses have been reported.
• Name: Black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) Factors conducive to spread: Warm,
wet conditions.
Crops affected: Brassicas.
Symptoms: Light-brown to yellow V-shaped lesions on the leaf, which become brittle and dry with
age. Vein blackening with the necrotic area.
• Name: Turnip mosaic virus Host plants: Brassicas.
Primary damage: Mottling and black necrotic spots in cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts;
mosaic with leaf distortion and stunting in turnip, radish, and Chinese cabbage.
• Name: Dodder (Cuscuta)
Appearance: leafless, yellow orange, threadlike stems twine around the number of field and
garden host plants
Damage: extend to nearby plants, draw the host plants together and downward until a tangled
yellowish orange patch is formed
• Name: Cyst Nematodes (Heterodera glycines-on soybeans
Appearance: Soybean Cyst Nematode females are lemon-shaped, slightly less than 1 mm in
diameter, and considerably smaller
Damage: large portions of soybean fields with plants that are severely stunted and yellow
2. Identify 5 diseases of plants caused by non-biotic agents
• Diseases: Micronutrient toxicities
Symptoms: chlorosis or necrosis on leaf margins or tips but leaf spotting, flecking, and other
symptoms can occur.
• Diseases: Nitrogen Deficiency
Symptoms: pale yellow color (chlorosis) as a result of reduced chlorophyll production; may also
appear stunted and display poor vigor
• Diseases: Phosphorus (P) deficiency
Symptoms: poor growth and stunting, a blue/green hue to the leaves, and/or purple-colorations to
stems and undersides of the leaves
• Diseases: Potassium (K) deficiency Symptoms: necrosis (
tissue death) on leaf margins, leaf curling and browning, and interveinal chlorosis
• Diseases: Calcium (Ca) deficiency
Symptoms: Blossom end rot is a common symptom of Ca deficiency on fruits. Other symptoms
manifest as plant stunting, localized tissue necrosis, and leaf marginal chlorosis.
3. Discuss the importance of identifying causes of plant diseases in crop protection.
Through identifying the causes of plant diseases in crop protection, we can manage the severity of the
problem happened in the crops. We can also formulate solutions to handle the problem in case it will

October 8, 2020
 reoccur again. Moreover, we can set up control and prevention procedures in order to protect the crops
from these diseases.
Laboratory Exercise Number 2

1. Sketch and label the disease specimen

2. Describe the symptoms (color, shapes and affected plant parts) and macroscopic signs
3. Identify pathogen/causal organism of the diseases (tabular form)
4. Describe the symptoms of each diseases (tabular form)
Disease Pathogen/causal Symptoms
organism
Clubroot Plasmodiophora Plants are yellow
brassicae and stunted and
may wilt in hotter
parts of the day;
large malformed
‘clubbed’ roots which
prevent the uptake
of water and
nutrients, reducing
the potential yield of
the crop.
Rusts several species, e.g. Small, red or
Puccinia sorghi – reddish-brown
sweet corn; pustules that form
Uromyces on the underside of
appendiculatus – the leaves and
beans; Puccinia allii
sometimes on the
– spring onions
pods as well; dusty
reddish-brown
spores released
from pustules (may
be black in cold
weather).
Fusarium wilts and Various Fusarium Causes severe root
rots species including F. and crown rots or
solani and F. wilt diseases by
oxysporum attacking roots and
basal stems;
cucurbit fruit and
potato tubers can be
affected in storage.

Bean common Mottling, curling,

mosaic virus and malformation of
leaves and a
general stunting of

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 the plant.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Ringspots, line

Virus (TSWV) patterns, mottling,
and chlorotic
blotches on leaves.

Tomato torrado virus Early symptoms

(ToTV) include necrotic or
dead spots; affected
areas may fall out,
leaving shot holes in
the leaflets; necrosis
and mottling also
extends to the
remainder of the
leaves.
Bacterial canker Clavibacter Seedlings may die
michiganensis pv. and older plants
michiganensis may wilt and die
eventually. Older
plants have leaves
that turn yellow and
wilt only on one
side. Cankers on
stems and fruit.
Tissue inside stems
becomes
discoloured.
Bacterial soft rot Pseudomonas spp., Wet, slimy, soft rot
Erwinia spp. that affects any part
of vegetable crops
including heads,
curds, edible roots,
stems and leaves.
May have a
disagreeable odour.
Bacterial wilt Ralstonia Wilting, yellowing
solanacearum and stunting of
plants but they may

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 wilt rapidly and die
without any spotting
or yellowing;
vascular tissue
appears brown and
water-soaked; a
white ooze appears
when pressure is
applied to affected
tubers or stems.
References:

• Kennelly, M., O’Mara, J., Rivard, C., Miller, G.L. and D. Smith. (2012). Introduction to Abiotic
Disorders in Plants. The Plant Health Instructor.
https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/disandpath/abiotic/intro/Pages/Abiotic.aspx
• Plant disease - Nematode diseases. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/science/plant-disease/Nematode-diseases
• (2019a, April 10). Bacterial diseases in vegetable crops. AUSVEG.
https://ausveg.com.au/biosecurity-agrichemical/crop-protection/overview-pests-
diseasesdisorders/bacterial-diseases/
• (2019b, April 10). Fungal diseases in vegetable crops. AUSVEG.
https://ausveg.com.au/biosecurityagrichemical/crop-protection/overview-pests-diseases-
disorders/fungaldiseases/#:%7E:text=Some%20fungal%20diseases%20occur%20on,%3B
%20Sclerotinia%20rots %3B%20Sclerotium%20rots.
• (2019c, April 10). Viral diseases. AUSVEG.
https://ausveg.com.au/biosecurity-agrichemical/cropprotection/overview-pests-diseases-
disorders/viral-diseases/

October 8, 2020