Introduction to Pest and

Disease Management
(RLE5020)

2022-03-15 (Tue)
 Assessment Methods
Assessment Item Weighting
Class Participation 10%
Field Trip Report 20%
Group Project 30%
Final Examination 40%
 Class Participation
• Regular Course: Every Tuesday
15th Mar 2022 to 24th May 2022
• Field Trip: 7th May 2022 (Sat)
• Laboratory: 4th Jun 2022 (Sat)
• Presentation: 24th May 2022
• Online Class
 Field Trip Report
• Field Trip Date: 7th May 2022 (Sat)
• Report Submission: 22nd May 2022
• Individual Report
• 2000‐2500 words
• Field Trip Guideline will be released later
 Group Project
• Oral Presentation: L10
(24th May 2022)
• Report submission:1 week after oral presentation
(30th May 2022)
• Oral and Report in English
• Details refer to Group Project Guideline
 Final Examination
• Date: 14th Jun 2022
• Close Book
• Multiple Choice 20%
• Short Question 20%
• Long Question 60%
 General Requirement
• No Plagiarism, Percentage <40%
• Citation using Phytopathology format
• Scientific Name: Phellinus noxius, Citus sp.,
Ficus variegata var. chlorocarpa
 General Requirement
• Citation using Phytopathology format
- Reference
Ann, P.J., Chang, T.T., Ko, W.H. 2002. Phellinus noxius
Brown Root Rot of Fruit and Ornamental Trees in
Taiwan. Plant Disease. 86(8):820-826.
- Content
xxxxxx (Ann, et al., 2002)
 Aim of Course
By the end of the course, student should be able to :
• Explain the concepts essential to pest and disease
diagnosis and management
• Analyse common pest and disease on urban trees
• Evaluate management practices of disease
prevention and control in Hong Kong
 Course Outline
• Introduction
• Evaluating symptoms and signs
• Abiotic and biotic agents
• Identifying common plant problems and stress factors
 Course Outline
• Introduction
• Evaluating symptoms and signs
• Abiotic and biotic agents
• Identifying common plant problems and stress factors
 What is PEST ?
• A general term for organisms (rats, insects, etc.) which may
cause illness or damage or consume food crops and other
materials important to humans.
• An organism that is considered a nuisance to man, most
usually having pathogenic properties. (Biology Online)
 What is DISEASE?
• Ability of the cells of a plant or plant part to carry out one or
more of these essential functions is interfered with by either a
pathogenic organism or an adverse environmental factor.
(Agrios, G.N.)

• Anything that prevents a plant from performing to its

maximum potential. (CropWatch)
What is DISEASE?

(Agrios, G.N.)
 Phytopathology
• Phyto = Plant
• Pathology = study and diagnosis of diseases
• Phytopathology = the study of plant disease

• Why and how the plant suffered ?

Due to undesirable environmental conditions and invasion of
harmful organisms during plant growth or product storage, normal
functions of living tissues of plants were harmed (interfered,
disrupted, altered, or inhibited), including the normal metabolism,
growth & development, reproduction), and result in reducing crop
produce and low quality products, etc.
 What is PATHOGENIC
MICROORGANISM?
• Pathogenic microorganism, i.e. the transmissible biotic (living)
agents that can cause disease and are generally referred
to as pathogens, usually cause disease in plants by
disturbing the metabolism of plant cells through enzymes,
toxins, growth regulators, and other substances they secrete
and by absorbing food stuffs from the host cells for their own
use. (Agrios, G.N.)
What is PATHOGENIC
MICROORGANISM?

(Agrios, G.N.)
What is PATHOGENIC
MICROORGANISM?

(Agrios, G.N.)
Disease Triangle
 Disease Triangle
• Occurrence of disease is the result of the interactions
between the Pathogen, Host and Environment
• The three elements affect each others
• Host and pathogen must be present and the environmental
condition that is favorable for infection and disease
development
• Disease only occur when the three elements interact
simultaneously
• When the three elements are at their equilibrium, the
disease is at its maximum amount
 Course Outline
• Introduction
• Evaluating symptoms and signs
• Abiotic and biotic agents
• Identifying common plant problems and stress factors
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptoms(病徵)
• responds of plant to the disease-causing agent
• visible effect of disease on plant
• may include a detectable change in color, shape or
function of the plant
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptom
Leaf yellowing
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptom
Abnormal leaf size
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptom
- Sparse Foliage Density
- Abnormal Foliage Color
- Abnormal Leaf Size
- Dieback Twigs
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptom
Spots
 Symptoms vs Signs
Signs(病兆)
• Physical evidence of the pathogens or insects
• e.g. fungal growth, bacterial ooze, or nematode cysts, or
the presence of mites or insects
 Symptoms vs Signs
Signs(病兆)
• Fungal Fruiting Bodies
 Symptoms vs Signs
Signs(病兆)
• Insect
 Symptoms vs Signs
Signs(病兆)
• Borer Holes
 Symptoms vs Signs
Symptom(病徵)
• responds of plant to the disease-causing agent

Signs(病兆)
• Physical evidence of the pathogen
 Course Outline
• Introduction
• Evaluating symptoms and signs
• Abiotic and biotic agents
• Identifying common plant problems and stress factors
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Biotic:
Plant problems are caused by living organisms, such as fungi,
bacteria, viruses, nematodes, insects, mites, and animals.

Abiotic:
Plant problems are caused by nonliving factors, such as
drought stress, sunscald, freeze injury, wind injury, chemical
injury, nutrient deficiency, or improper cultural practices, such
as overwatering or planting conditions.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency, etc.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic Fungi,
agents Phellinus noxius
(environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Bacteria, Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Virus, Mosaic Virus
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions) :
Virus, Papaya ringspot virus
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency, etc.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism): Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
Parasitic plants, Dodder
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism): Insect, Mealy Bug
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Air pollutant
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungistress or overwatering
Drought Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Sunburn
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency , etc.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease Agent:
Biotic
Soil agents (living organism):
Compaction
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Sunburn
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency, etc.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Disease
Nutrient Agent:
deficiency
Biotic agents (living organism):
• Fungi Abiotic agents (environmental
conditions):
• Bacteria
• Sunburn
• Viruses, Viroids
• Drought stress or overwatering
• Nematodes
• High or low temperature
• Parasitic plants
• Wind injury
• Insects, etc.
• Soil compaction
• Nutrient deficiency, etc.
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
Damage caused by biotic agent and abiotic agents can
appear very similar.

How can we distinguish them?

 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
• Biotic disease problems are • Abiotic damage often
more limited to a certain occurs on many plant
species. species.

e.g. Phauda flammans, e.g. Drought stress,

Powdery mildew (白粉病) chemical injury
 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
• Biotic diseases can spread • Abiotic damage does not
throughout one plant and spread from plant to plant
also may spread to over time
neighboring plants of the
same species

e.g. Brown Root Rot Disease

 Biotic and Abiotic Agent
• Biotic diseases sometimes • Abiotic diseases do not
show physical evidence show the presence of
(signs) of the pathogen disease signs.

e.g. fungi, insect

 Course Outline
• Introduction
• Evaluating symptoms and signs
• Abiotic and biotic agents
• Identifying common plant problems and stress factors
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Importance of identifying plant problems
- Apply treatment
- Minimize Risk/ Loss
- Better Management
Disease Triangle

Amount of
Disease

HOST 寄主
Total of conditions favoring susceptibility
易受感染的條件
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Group Discussion:
- What plant problems do you see the most?
- Can they be classified as pest or disease problems?
- If yes, they were caused by biotic or abiotic agent?
- How do you managed the problems?
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• 1. Root Rot 根腐(fungal) • 11. Shot-hole 穿孔(fungal & bacterial)
• 2. Damping-off 立枯和猝倒(fungal) • 12. Blight 枯焦(fungal & bacterial)
• 3. Basal stem rot 莖腐(fungal) • 13. Scab 瘡痂(fungal & bacterial)
• 4. Anthracnose 炭疽(fungal) • 14. Mosaic 嵌紋(viral)
• 5. Decline 衰弱(fungal)
• 15. Witch’s broom 簇葉(viral)
• 6. Leaf spots 葉斑(bacterial)
• 16. Chlorosis 黃化(multi-pathogenal)
• 7. Wilt 枯萎(bacterial)
• 8. Canker潰瘍(bacterial) • 17. Ringspot 輪點(viral)
• 9. Soft rots軟腐(bacterial) • 18. Deformity 畸形(multi-pathogenal)
• 10. Gummosis 流膠(fungal & • 19. Gall 腫瘤(multi-pathogenal)
bacterial) • 20. Streaks 條紋(multi-pathogenal)
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• Root Rot
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• Basal stem Rot

(Siddiqui, et al., 2021)

 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• Canker
• Isolated dead of bark on stems, branches or twigs
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• Gummosis
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
• Gall
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Koch’s Postulates 柯霍氏法則
- Pathogen must be found associated with the disease in all
the diseased plants
- Pathogen must be isolated and grown in pure culture
- Same disease must be produced after inoculation of the
pathogen on healthy plant
- Pathogen must be isolated in pure culture again
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
History
- History of tree problems

Observe
- Distribution of symptoms, host, environment, etc.
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Laboratory Test
- Incubation, isolation and identification
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Laboratory Test
- Molecular Method, e.g. PCR
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Reference
- Website
- Book
- Journal
- Facebook Group, etc.
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Reference
- Website
- Book
- Journal
- Facebook Group, etc.
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Reference
- Website
- Book
- Journal
- Facebook Group, etc.
 Identifying common plant
problems and stress factors
Reference
- Website
- Book
- Journal
- Facebook Group, etc.
 Case Sharing
尖葉杜英 Elaeocarpus apiculatus

April, 2021 July, 2021

 Case Sharing

April, 2021 July, 2021

 Case Sharing
Suspect 象甲科 Curculionidae

April, 2021 July, 2021

 Case Sharing

Dead

Healthy
Case Sharing
大葉杜英Elaeocarpus balansae

Aug, 2020
 Case Sharing
Suspect ????

Dead branches with wilted leaves were found on the

4 Adjacent trees this year
Case Sharing
大葉杜英Elaeocarpus balansae

Apr, 2018
Case Sharing

Pseudocosmospora vilior (Hypocreales)

Xenoacremonium falcatus (Hypocreales)
Fusarium solani (Hypocreales)