Epidemiology of Plant Diseases
Pathogens infect plants in several ways, either by releasing toxins or enzymes that degrade cell walls. A few of these techniques are given below:
- Cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDE): These are the classes of proteins that are responsible for rupturing the plant cell wall to initiate the infection at the infection site. These include the hydrolase class of enzymes, which includes esterases, glycosyl hydrolases, lyases, and oxidoreductases.
- Toxins: There are two types of toxins that are released by plant pathogens:-
- Non-host specific: which damages all plants
- Host specific: which damages only the host plant
- Effector proteins: There are several effector proteins that can initiate plant infection. Pathogens secrete these effector proteins in an extracellular environment or inject them directly into the host plant via secretory system types. Pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and oomyctes are responsible for the secretion of effector proteins.
- Spores: Plant hosts may become infected by the spores of phytopathogenic fungi. Spores first cling to the host plant’s leaves and stems’ cuticular layer. Spores have the ability to form special hypae known as germ tubes, which can adhere to plant roots and initiate the infection by secreting CWDE.
Plant Pathology
Plant pathology is the study of illnesses brought on by plant pathogens, also called phytopathogens. Nematodes, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa are some of these pathogens. Phytopathologists are scientists who study plant pathology. Plant diseases can be caused by various pathogens, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
In this article, we will study the Definition and Principles of Plant Pathology, Types of plant pathogens, Fungal pathogens, Bacterial pathogens, Viral Pathogens, nematode pathogens, protozoa, and algae pathogens, Epidemiology of plant diseases, Prevention and Control of Protozoan Diseases and Importance of Plant Pathology.
Table of Content
- Definition of Plant Pathology
- Principles of Plant Pathology
- Types of Plant Pathogens
- Fungal Pathogens
- Bacterial Pathogens
- Viruses and Virus like Pathogens
- Nematodes Pathogens
- Protozoa and Algae Pathogens
- Epidemiology of Plant Diseases
- Prevention and Control of Protozoan Diseases
- Importance of Plant Pathology