Types of Plant Diseases

PP-402 3(2-2)
Introductory Plant Pathology

Practical
 Why do we study Pathogens?
• Plant Pathology is the study of;
• living entities and the environmental conditions that cause
disease in plants
• mechanisms by which these factors produce disease in plants
• interactions between the disease-causing agents and the
diseased plant and
• methods of preventing or controlling disease and alleviating the
damage it causes
Plant Pathology : The study of plant diseases
Plant pathology is an interdisciplinary science that includes knowledge of
botany, microbiology, crop science, ecology, genetics, biochemistry, molecular
biology, and physiology of plants and pathogens.

Symptom : Abnormal appearance of a plant

Sign : Appearance of the actual pathogen (fruiting bodies, spores, hyphae)

Pathogenicity : The capability of a pathogen to cause disease

Host :An organism plant that is invaded by a parasite and from which
the parasite obtains its nutrients.

Disease : Any malfunctioning of host cells and tissues that results from
continuous irritation by a pathogenic agent or environmental factor and leads to
development of symptoms.
Biotic Diseases(Plant Abiotic Diseases
Pathogens)
Fungi Injury: loss of plant vigor resulting from
an sudden event, such as a lightning strike,
hail damage, chemical burn or mechanical
damage.
Bacteria Cultural: (mechanical damage, planting
problems)
Virus, Viroid's Chemical:(fertilizers, herbicides, pets)
Nematode Environmental
(freezing, flooding, drought, light, wind,
hail)
Phytoplasma Physiological Disorders (abnormal growth
Parasitic Plants Higher Parasitic Plants, due to genetic
and/or environmental) .
 COMPONENTS OF A PLANT DISEASE
Susceptible Host: Lacking the inherent ability to resist disease or
attack by a given pathogen
Susceptibility: The inability of a plant to resist the effect of a pathogen
or other damaging factor.
Virulent Pathogen: Capable of causing a severe disease; strongly
pathogenic.
Virulence: The degree of pathogenicity of a given pathogen.
Conducive Environment: Favorable Environment
Disease Triangle
Infected Plant Plant Pathogen
Nematode

Virus

Fung
i
Bacteria
 Prokaryotes VS
Prokaryotes
- A single celled
microorganisms
- genetic material is not
organized into a membrane
bound nucleus e.g. Bacteria
& Mollicutes
- Cell organelles (nuclei, and
mitochondria) are not
membrane bound.
-Only 70 S ribosomes within
cytoplasm
Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes
-Single/multi cellular organisms
- genetic material is organized
into a membrane bound
nucleus
-Cell organelles (nuclei, and
mitochondria) are membrane
bound.
Have two types of ribosomes
Larger one in cytoplasm (80
S)
Smaller one in
mitochondria(70S)
 Fungi
• A eukaryotic, heterotrophic organism devoid of chlorophyll
that obtains its nutrients by absorption, and reproduces by
spores.
• The primary carbohydrate storage product of fungi is
glycogen.
• Most fungi have a thallus composed of hyphae (sing. hypha)
that elongate by tip growth

Aspergillus Penicillium Alternaria Mucor

Bacteria Mollicutes
A single celled microorganisms A single celled microorganisms
Belong to the kingdom Belong to the kingdom
Prokaryotae Prokaryotae

Genetic material is not bound Genetic material is not bound

by membrane, therefore, is not by membrane, therefore, is not
organized into a nucleus organized into a nucleus

The cytoplasm is bounded by The cytoplasm is bounded by

cell membrane and cell wall cell membrane only
 Bacteria

taphyllococus

Pseudomonas

Bacillus
 Disease Causal Agent /Pathogens
VIRUS
• Word virus is derived from the Latin word “venome” meaning
“poisonous fluid”.
•
• It is non cellular infectious entity which contain nucleic acid ( RNA or
DNA) which is coated with protein.

• It is capable of reproducing only in living cells.

• They use biosynthetic machinery of the host to perform their own

functions.
VIROIDS
• Similar to viruses but with the difference that they lack protein coat
or
• Small low molecular weight RNA that can infect
Plant cells replicate themselves and cause disease.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus Tobacco Mosaic Virus
 Nematodes
• Generally microscopic, worm like animals, that live
saprophytically in water or soil, or as parasite of animals
and plants.
 PARASITIC PLANTS
Some higher plant forms live on the surface of or parasitize other plants
and often cause harmful reactions in their hosts.
Dodder( Cuscuta sp)
Leafy Mistletoe
Dwarf Mistletoe