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Author Name: Samuel Quino
Contact Email Address: groups@gardening-
WebSite: http://www.gardenin
Category: Gardening, Environment, Health, Home, Other
Description: Getting to know the most common plant diseases is the most important step towards knowing how to control them.
Keywords: Plant Disease, Control Plant Disease, Anthracnose, Black Spot, Dutch Elm Disease, Fireblight, Leaf Spot, Peach Leaf Curl, Powdery Mildew, Scab, Rust, Damping Off, Oak Root Fungus, Root Rots, water Molds, Verticillium Wilt
Word Count: 850
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Article Content:
Plant diseases are usually produced by different kinds of
organisms. Diseases that affects the leaf and the stems are
bacteria, fungi or viruses. Soilborne diseases on the other
hand are caused by various fungi. Bacterial diseases are
caused by bacteria who are unable to manufacture their own
food thus they depend on the host plant for food depriving
the plants of the nutrients necessary for a healthy growth.
Fungal diseases are the most widespread plant maladies.
Fungi parasitically obtain their food from green plants,
causing diseases in the process. Fungi produces spores in
great number which are tiny reproductive bodies. These
spores can be carried by wind or water. Each spore will
germinate and grow producing new infections. Viral diseases
are viruses capable of invading plant tissue and reproducing
in it. Viruses can be spread by aphids, leafhoppers and thrips.
Even humans can spread viruses by propagating virus-infected
plants.
Other factors that causes this are the plants own interaction
with unfavorable environmental factors. This includes air
pollution, a deficiency or excess of sunlight which is its
main source of nutrients. It can also be the climate. Climate
adaptability in plants is very important. Plant disease can
be caused by climate which is too hot, too cold, too dry or
too wet.
Kinds of Leaf and Stem Diseases
1. Anthracnose - infects leaves, produces large, irregular
brown blotches which causes premature dropping of leaves.
2. Black Spot - it appears on leaves and stems as roughly
circular spots of black with fringed edges, usually circled
with yellow.
3. Dutch Elm Disease - also known as DED. Can be spread from
infected trees to nearby healthy ones by natural root grafting.
4. Fireblight - it is carried to blossoms by splashing water,
flies and other insects. Infection can also enter a plant
through any fresh wound in the bark or foliage.
5. Leaf Spot - it is red, brown, yellow, or black disease
spots on leaves and stems. Severe infection of this disease
can cause some plants to defoliate.
6. Peach Leaf Curl - the curled and distorted leaves may be
tinged with red, pink, yellow or white. Later they may become
covered with white spores that can be carried by the wind to
other leaves or plants.
7. Powdery Mildew - if first appears as small gray or white
circular patches on plant tissue, spreading rapidly to form
powdery areas of fungus filaments and spores.
8. Scab - the scab fungus differs from other leaf-infecting
fungi in that the dark spots on leaves represent fungus
growth on the foliage rather than areas of dead tissue.
9. Rust - this disease is specific to a certain type of plant.
Rose rust will not infect hollyhocks and vice versa.
Soil borne Diseases
1. Damping Off - the stem of a seedling collapses at or near
the soil surface and the seedling topples. It can also rot
the seedling before it emerges from the soil or causes the
seed to decay before sprouting.
2. Oak Root Fungus - the fungus kills its host by gradually
decaying the roots and moving into the main stem, where it
girdles the plant.
3. Root Rots, water Molds - the damage to roots from
overwatering is, in almost all cases, not caused by water
itself but by water-mold fungi that thrive when free water
stands too long around roots - especially when soil is
warm.
4. Verticillium Wilt - it invades and plugs the water
conducting tissue in the roots and stems. A common symptom
is a wilting of one side of the plant.
Ways to Control Plant Diseases
As with any kind of diseases, prevention is still the best
line of defense. As much as possible choose plants that
are disease resistant. Also make sure that planting
locations and conditions don't encourage diseases.
There are products readily available in the market for
this purpose. One classification are called preventives -
as the word suggest it prevents diseases from occuring,
but these products are ineffective once the disease are
already established. The other classification is called
eradicants - once the disease is established, eradicants
are helpful in controlling them.
Before using any of these products, it will be wise to
read the labels very carefully. Be sure to apply the
products only if the plant is listed. It can cause
damaged if applied to inappropriate plants.
Here are some of these products and the common disease
they each control.
1. Sulfur - used to prevent powdery mildew, scab and rust.
It is one of the oldest and safest fungicides
2. Lime Sulfur - It controls some mites, scale insects
and thrips. Also used to prevent various leaf spots,
peach leaf curl, and powdery mildew.
3. Captan - for prevention or eradication of damping-off,
leaf spots and many other fungal diseases.
4. Triforine - for prevention or eradication of powdery
mildew, rust, black spot and a variety of other diseases.
5. Copper Compounds - often used to prevent fireblight,
peach leaf curl, and shot hole diseases.
6. Chlorothalonil - it prevents diseases on lawns,
fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.
7. Triadimefon - effective against azalea petal blight.
It can also prevent powdery mildew, rust and some lawn
diseases.
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Author Biography:
This article is written by Samuel Quino - the founder of <a href="http://www.gardenin
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