Class 3: Plant disease, its causes

and symptoms
What is a plant
disease ?
Disease is a
process that causes
malfunctions in
the physiology of
plant body and
results in some
suffering.
Causes of Plant Diseases
Categories of causes:
I. Infectious, or Biotic/Animate causes:

i.

1. Fungi

2. Bacteria

3. Mollicutes
 Contd…

4. Parasitic higher plants

5. Nematodes

6, Protozoa

7. Viruses and viroids

8. Algae
 Contd…
II. Noninfectious, or abiotic/Inanimate
causes:
1. Too low or high temperature
2. Lack or excess of soil moisture
3. Lack or excess of light
4. Lack of oxygen
5. Air pollution
6. Nutrient deficiencies
7. Mineral toxicities
8. Variation in soil pH
9. Toxicity of pesticides
10. Improper cultural practices
General symptoms of plant diseases
Signs, Symptoms and Patterns

a. Signs - indications of presence of disease causing

organism – e.g., fruiting body or mycelium of fungi
b. Symptoms - change in host - exudations, resinosis,
necrosis (death of tissue or tree), hypotrophy (dwarfing),
hypertrophy (overgrowths - galls, witches brooms).
c. Patterns – random – biotic agents/abiotic
- systematic - biotic agents/abiotic
Here we will consider both sign and symptoms as
general symptoms of plant diseases
 A. Due to the character and appearance of the visible
pathogen

1. Mildew; superficial growth of

the fungus

Powdery mildew

Downy mildew

a. Powdery mildew-
i. It occurs usually on leaves
ii. white, powdery, fungal
growth on the surface
b. Downy mildew:
i. Cottony growth of the fungus on the host surface
ii. it occurs usually on leaves
Symptoms Advanced Late symptoms
(upper surface) symptoms

Sporangia
Symptoms
(lower surface)
2. White blister/rust:
a. white blister-like
pustules appear
b. this pustules break
open and expose
white powdery mass
of spores
c. it is commonly known
as white rust and
occurs usually on
leaves of crucifers
3. Rust:
a. it appears as relatively small pustules
b. spores break open through the epidermis
c. texture is either dusty or compact
d. color may be red, brown, yellow or black
4. Smut:
a. symptoms appear on
foral organs
particularly ovule
b. black dusty masses
spores appear
5.Scab: localized roughened, crust-like lesion on the surface
of the host e.g. apple scab ,wheat scab
 B. Due to some effect on or change in the host tissue

1. Color change:
a. Mosaic : disease comprising irregular mixture of
light green, yellow or white areas and normal green
areas on the leaves or fruits
b. Mottle: an irregular pattern of indistinct light and
dark areas
c. Vein banding: a change of color in a narrow zone of
leaf tissue along side the main veins, a symptom
virus diseases.
Mosaic :
disease comprising irregular mixture of of light green,
yellow or white areas and normal green areas on the
leaves or fruits
Mottle:

An irregular pattern
of indistinct light
and dark areas, a
symptom virus
diseases
Yellow vein-banding :

A change of color in a narrow

zone of leaf tissue alongside
the main veins, a symptom
virus diseases.
 B. Due to some effect on or change in the host tissue

1. Color change:
d. Vein clearing: an increase transparency of the
veinal system on a leaf, making the pattern more
pronounced.
e. Chlorosis : yellowing of normal green tissue due to
chlorophyll destruction or failure of chlorophyll
formation
f. Ring spot: a circular area of chlorosis or necrosis
with a green center, a symptom virus diseases.
Chlorosis :
yellowing of normal
green tissue due to
chlorophyll destruction
or failure of chlorophyll
formation , a symptom
virus diseases
Ring spot:
a circular area of chlorosis or necrosis with a green
center, a symptom virus diseases