Plant Diseases

Plant Diseases

1. How can plant diseases be detected

   • Stunted growth
   • Spots on leaves
   • Areas of decay
   • Growths
   • Malformed stems or leaves
   • Discolouration
   • Presence of pests

2. How can plant diseases be identified

   • Referring to a garden manual or website
   • Taking infected plants to a labatory to identify the pathogen causing the disease
   • Using testing kits that contain monoclonal antibodies

3. What can cause plant diseases

   • Plants can be infected a range of viral (TMV), bacterial and fungal (Rose Black Spot) pathogens as well as by insects.
   • Aphids are insects that can cause and spread disease in plants

4. Why do plants need mineral ions

   • Plants need mineral ions from the soil
   • They need nitrates to make proteins so they can grow
   • They need magnesium to make chlorophyll so they can absorb light for photosynthesis
   • If plants don't recieve enough mineral ions, their growth will be stunted due to lack of nitrates, and without enough magnesium their leaves with turn yellow