Plant Pathology

What this unit covers

This page sits in the Crop Protection strand of Agriculture and agronomy. Most of it is mind maps, and many of them cover the same core idea: how a plant disease develops. The mind map on stages in plant disease development and the disease cycle looks at the three factors of environment, host plant and pathogen, then at virulence, susceptible hosts and conducive conditions. Several users have made their own versions, so you can compare how each one lays it out.

Where to start

Begin with the disease cycle maps and the disease triangle map. Then open the flashcard deck called disease, which asks you to define a disease, tell symptoms from signs, and sort living from non-living disease agents. The symptoms of plant disease deck is a natural follow-on.

Moving on to pathogens

• The Plant Pathogenic Bacteria mind map covers naming, shape, growth needs, identification and how bacteria attack plants.
• The Pathogenic fungi & Oomycete deck asks you to define biotrophs, obligate biotrophs, necrotrophs and hemi-biotrophs.
• The nematode deck covers syncytial and giant cells and how nematodes enter the plant.
• The Fusarium Flash Cards look at seedling blight, emergence and early sowing.

Disease in the field

The Plant Disease Epidemiology map sets out the basic definitions of epidemic, pandemic and outbreak. The Wheat Diseases Syngenta 2011 map looks at yellow rust and brown rust, and how a cold winter or a mild spring changes the risk. There are also maps on disease management and on integrated management of Fusarium head blight and mycotoxins.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then try the Plant Disease Lifecycles quiz to see what stuck. The other quiz looks at cross protection, where mild virus strains are used to guard plants against worse ones. Go back to the maps for any gaps, then pick a deck and test yourself again. You can also make your own maps and flashcards to fill any gaps you find.