Plant Diseases

Plant Diseases. A disease is a physiological disorder and structural abnormality which is dangerous to the plant or part of the plant.

Through wind or air currents that blow disease spores from infected plants to healthy ones

Through rain water or rain splash that disperses off infected soil from a diseased plant to a healthy crop

Through contact of plants i.e infected and healthy ones

Planting of the infected planting materials e.g seeds

Through use of garden tools that were used on infected crops e.g knives,pangas,hoes etc

Through sucking pests which inject infected saliva into a healthy plant e.g aphids

Through use of mulches that were previously infected

Through irrigation water that is infected by disease pathogens e.g bacteria,fungi and viruses

Use of organic manure e.g FYM,Green manure that is also infected by disease.

Planting of resistat or tolerant crop varieties that can withstand disease attacks.

Legislation to restrict movement of infected planting materials from one place to another

Weeding to remove plants tat can act as alternate hosts of disease causing organisms

Carrying out a good crop rotation to prevent build up of diseases to crops

Proper land drainage of the soil surface to prevent water borne diseases

Spraying of crops with recommended chemicals to control crop diseases

Seed dressing to destroy spores that may be hidden on seeds

Rogueing i.e removal of diseased plants or plant parts and destroyed by burning

Soil treatment/sterilization should be done to kill spores of diseases

Early planting or timely planting in order to escape disease build up

Use of diease free planting materials to prevent the spread of diseases