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Panama disease is a plant disease of the roots of banana plants. It is a type of Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungal pathogen "Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense" (Foc). The pathogen is resistant to fungicide and cannot be controlled chemically.
During the 1950s, Panama disease wiped out most commercial Gros Michel banana production. The Gros Michel banana was the dominant cultivar of bananas, and the blight inflicted enormous costs and forced producers to switch to other, disease-resistant cultivars. New strains of Panama disease currently threaten the production of today's most popular cultivar, Cavendish.
Leaf rust of barley is considered a relatively minor disease in the United States. However, sporadic outbreaks have occurred in the southeastern and Midwestern regions of the country.
Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in Soybean plants quickly spread across the southern United States in the 1970s, eventually reaching most agricultural areas of the US. SDS is caused by a Fusarium fungi, more specifically the soil borne root pathogen "Fusarium virguliforme," formerly known as "Fusarium solani" f. sp. "glycines"."." Losses could exceed hundreds of millions of dollars in US soybean markets alone making it one of the most important diseases found in Soybeans across the US
Pustules of leaf rust are small and circular, producing a mass of orange-brown powdery spores. They appear on the leaf sheaths and predominantly on the upper leaf surfaces. Heavily infected leaves die prematurely.
There are a number of control methods to prevent and reduce the Banana Freckle disease. The paper bag method seems to be the most effective way to gain physical control of the pathogen. The infected leaves are the primary source of spores, and placing a bag over the bananas, once harvested, creates a barrier to prevent inoculum from spreading to the fruit.
Some cultural controls include pruning out infectious plant material, planting in pathogen-free fields, and practicing proper sanitation techniques. In the Philippines, pruning and cutting out patches of infected tissue have prevented the spread of the pathogen in the plant during disease outbreaks. General sanitation practices have also reduced the spread of inoculum. When planters failed to maintain sanitary equipment, seeds, and soil, they witnessed severe fruit infections. The more freckles seen on the leaves of the plant, the more the fruit develops symptoms of the disease. Inversely, less freckles corresponded to less disease.
In addition, multiple fungicides have been seen to reduce Banana Freckle disease. In Hawaii, spraying the leaves and fruit with maneb (1 lb./100 gal water plus 4 oz of sticker-spreader) every 2 weeks or once a month throughout the year has remarkably reduced the spread of inoculum. In Taiwan, spraying fungicides, such as phaltan, orthocide, chlorothalonil, dithiocarbamates, and propiconazole, biweekly have produced effective results against the disease. In the Philippines, chemical controls used against Black or Yellow Sigatoka disease have been helpful. These consist of mancozeb, triazoles, tridemorph, and strobilurin. Mancozeb seems to be the most effective fungicide against Banana Freckle disease in Hawaii and the Philippines . These fungicides do not eliminate the pathogen completely, but they reduce the inoculum levels and eventually reduce yield loss.
Lastly, eradication of infected plants can prevent further infection of other fruit around the area.
Bacterial wilt of turfgrass is the only known bacterial disease of turf. The causal agent is the Gram negative bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. graminis. The first case of bacterial wilt of turf was reported in a cultivar of creeping bentgrass known as Toronto or C-15, which is found throughout the midwestern United States. Until the causal agent was identified in 1984, the disease was referred to simply as C-15 decline. This disease is almost exclusively found on putting greens at golf courses where extensive mowing creates wounds in the grass which the pathogen uses in order to enter the host and cause disease.
Fusarium wilt is a common vascular wilt fungal disease, exhibiting symptoms similar to Verticillium wilt. The pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt is "Fusarium oxysporum" ("F. oxysporum"). The species is further divided into forma specialis based on host plant.
Banana Freckle is a disease caused by the fungus "Guignardia musae" (telomorph) or "Phyllosticta musarum" (anamorph). Generally, the causal agent of disease is referred to as Guignardia-Phyllosticta sp. There are several different strains of the fungus that exist to infect different banana varieties around the globe. Symptoms include yellowing of the tissue and formation of small dark brown spots on the leaves and fruit. Within the spots, conidia or pycnidia can be found. Banana Freckle is easily propagated and spread from plant to plant by rain splash and movement of infected tissue or fruit. Management of the disease consists of cutting out infected leaves, the paper bag method, fungicide application, and proper sanitation techniques. This devastating disease is extremely relevant for the major banana exporting countries of the world. In the absence of chemical control, there is about a 78% yield loss. Banana Freckle disease needs to be carefully monitored in order to prevent further spread of the disease.
There are several ways to manage turf melting out. They include both cultural and chemical.
Growth of the bacteria is possible between 32–90 °F, with the most ideal conditions between 70–80 °F. Post-harvest storage and transportation is difficult for tropical and other warm environments when the air is not properly ventilated during these processes. Higher temperatures and high humidity are ideal growing conditions for the bacteria making ventilation a big priority when trying to combat this disease.
Control of Leucostoma Canker is possible through a combination of pest and crop management techniques following life cycles of the trees. The strategy is implemented following techniques aimed at reducing number of pathogenic inoculum, minimizing dead or injured tissues to prevent infection, and improving tree health to improve rapid wound healing. Chemical controls have not been very effective at controlling this disease with no fungicides registered specifically for control of "Leucostoma" spp., and demethylation-inhibiting (DMI) fungicides having almost no effect on "L. persoonii".
The disease can tolerate warm or freezing temperature, but favorable conditions for the disease include wet and humid weather. Irrigated fields provide a favorable environment for the disease. The disease has become quite prevalent in semi-tropical regions, but can found all over the world where wheat is grown. Strong winds that blow soils help contribute to the spread of disease. When the spread is initiated by wind blown soil particles, symptoms will be found most readily towards the edges of the field.
Genetic resistance is the preferred disease management strategy because it allows farmers to minimize chemical intervention. Less pesticide and fungicide can encourage biological control agents, reduce production costs, and minimize the chemical residues in fruit. Some genetic varieties of raspberry are better than others for the control of leaf spot. Nova and Jewel Black are both resistant varieties, while Prelude and Honey Queen Golden Raspberry have some resistance, but can be susceptible depending on environmental conditions. Reiville, Canby, Encore and Anne are the most susceptible varieties.
Cultural practices are also important for the management of Raspberry Leaf Spot. Sanitation, which includes the removal of all plant debris and infected canes in the fall, reduces places for the pathogen to overwinter. Pruning the raspberry plants and planting in rows will allow for airflow to dry leaves, creating an uninviting environment for fungi. Furthermore, air flow circulation is important for reducing sporulation and successful infection. Lastly, avoid wounding the plants, as this may provide the fungus with an opportunity to infect.
Golf courses affect the United States economy with about 18 billion dollars annually. Turf melting out is an important disease economically for golf course superintendents. When turfgrass quality is affected on a golf course, the course has a potential to lose golfers, in turn, losing money. After a golf course has an outbreak of turf melting out, the damage needs to be assessed and the turf needs to be replaced. Mending these damaged areas cost money from the fungicide applications to rid the area of the disease to the replacement of turf. Simple cultural controls help reduce the risk of this disease, but when the methods are not used, it can be costly.
Creeping bentgrass ("Agrostis stolonifera") and annual bluegrasses ("Poa annua") are the makeup of most putting greens, as well as the preferred hosts of this pathogen. Specifically, Toronto (C-15), Seaside, and Nemisilla are the cultivars of creeping bentgrass most commonly affected. The bacteria enter the plant host and interfere with water and nutrient flow, causing the plant to look drought stressed and to take on a blueish-purple color. Additionally, symptoms of bacterial wilt of turf grass include yellow leaf spots, tan or brown spots, water soaked lesions, elongated yellow leaves and shriveling of aforementioned blue or dark green leaves.Since putting greens are not a pure stand of turf, some grass blades may be resistant to the bacterium and thus remain unharmed while the surrounding turf dies, rendering the putting surface inconsistent and unsightly, especially at high-end golf courses.
Citrus Black Spot is a fungal disease caused by Guignardia citricarpa. This Ascomycete fungus affects citrus plants throughout subtropical climates, causing a reduction in both fruit quantity and quality. Symptoms include both fruit and leaf lesions, the latter being critical to inter-tree dispersal. Strict regulation and management is necessary to control this disease since there are currently no citrus varieties that are resistant.
Two external symptoms help characterize Panama disease of banana:
- Yellow leaf syndrome, the yellowing of the border of the leaves which eventually leads to bending of the petiole.
- Green leaf syndrome, which occurs in certain cultivars, marked by the persistence of the green color of the leaves followed by the bending of the petiole as in yellow leaf syndrome. Internally, the disease is characterized by vascular discoloration. This begins in the roots and rhizomes with a yellowing that proceeds to a red or brown color in the pseudostem.
These symptoms often get confused with the symptoms of bacterial wilt of banana, but there are ways to differentiate between the two diseases:
- Fusarium wilt proceeds from older to younger leaves, but bacterial wilt is the opposite.
- Fusarium wilt has no symptoms on the growing buds or suckers, no exudates visible within the plant, and no symptoms in the fruit. Bacterial wilt can be characterized by distorted or necrotic buds, bacterial ooze within the plant, and fruit rot and necrosis.
Once a banana plant is infected, it will continue to grow and any new leaves will be pale in color. Recovery is rare, but if it does occur any new emerging suckers will already be infected and can propagate disease if planted.
"Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense" (Foc) is most prominent in banana and plantain, but some other similar relatives are also susceptible to infection. Different races of the disease are used to classify different major hosts affected by Foc. Race 1 was the initial outbreak which destroyed much of the world's Gros Michel bananas. Cavendish bananas are resistant to race 1, but tropical race 4 (or subtropical race 4) is the classification for Foc which affects Cavendish. Race 2 affects a cooking and dessert banana, Bluggoe.
Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. It is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. Accordingly, many diseases that primarily exhibit this symptom are called blights. Several notable examples are:
- Late blight of potato, caused by the water mold "Phytophthora infestans" (Mont.) de Bary, the disease which led to the Great Irish Famine
- Southern corn leaf blight, caused by the fungus "Cochliobolus heterostrophus" (Drechs.) Drechs, anamorph "Bipolaris maydis" (Nisikado & Miyake) Shoemaker, incited a severe loss of corn in the United States in 1970.
- Chestnut blight, caused by the fungus "Cryphonectria parasitica" (Murrill) Barr, has nearly completely eradicated mature American chestnuts in North America.
- Fire blight of pome fruits, caused by the bacterium "Erwinia amylovora" (Burrill) Winslow "et al.", is the most severe disease of pear and also is found in apple and raspberry, among others.
- Bacterial leaf blight of rice, caused by the bacterium "Xanthomonas oryzae" (Uyeda & Ishiyama) Dowson.
- Early blight of potato and tomato, caused by species of the ubiquitous fungal genus "Alternaria"
- Leaf blight of the grasses
On leaf tissue, symptoms of blight are the initial appearance of lesions which rapidly engulf surrounding tissue. However, leaf spot may, in advanced stages, expand to kill entire areas of leaf tissue and thus exhibit blight symptoms.
Blights are often named after their causative agent, for example Colletotrichum blight is named after the fungi "Colletotrichum capsici", and Phytophthora blight is named after the water mold "Phytophthora parasitica".
Armillaria root rot is a fungal root rot caused by several different members of the genus "Armillaria". The symptoms are variable depending on the host infected, ranging from stunted leaves to chlorotic needles and dieback of twigs and branches. However, all infected hosts display symptoms characteristic of being infected by a white rotting fungus. The most effective ways of management focus on limiting the spread of the fungus, planting resistant species, and removing infected material. This disease poses a threat to the lumber industry as well as affecting recreational areas.
Bacterial soft rots are caused by several types of bacteria, but most commonly by species of gram-negative bacteria, "Erwinia", "Pectobacterium", and "Pseudomonas". It is a destructive disease of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals found worldwide, and effects genera from nearly all the plant families. The bacteria mainly attack the fleshy storage organs of their hosts (tubers, corms, bulbs, and rhizomes), but they also affect succulent buds, stems, and petiole tissues. With the aid of special enzymes, the plant is turned into a liquidy mush in order for the bacteria to consume the plant cell's nutrients. Disease spread can be caused by simple physical interaction between infected and healthy tissues during storage or transit. The disease can also be spread by insects. Control of the disease is not always very effective, but sanitary practices in production, storing, and processing are something that can be done in order to slow the spread of the disease and protect yields.
Plant varieties that are resistant to "Armillaria" or species are resistant to other environmental or biological stressors. If the infected area has been cleared of trees, plants that are not vulnerable to the disease should be planted for five or so years until "Armillaria" is eradicated. Stump removal is also an effective management tool but can be expensive. Another way to reduce susceptibility is to maintain plant health by regular fertilization (if needed), watering during droughts, and trying not to create wounds on the plant. Fumigation can also be used to reduce the amount of inoculum.
The best way to manage SDS is with a resistant variety. One issue is that most resistant varieties are only partially resistant so yield reductions may still occur. Another issue is that the plant needs resistance for SDS and SCN in order to gain true resistance because of their synergistic relationship and most varieties do not have resistance for both. Aside from resistance, the only other ways to control SDS are management practices.
These include:
- Avoid planting in cool, wet conditions
- Plant later when the soil has warmed up
- Try avoiding soil compaction as it creates wet spots in the soil that can increase plant stress and SDS infection rates
- Managing for SCN as this nematode often occurs alongside "F. virguliforme"
- Deep tillage to break up compaction and help the soil warm faster
One common management tactic used in other pathogen management plans is crop rotation. In some cases, disease severity can be reduced but most often it is not effective. This is because of chlamydospores and macroconidia as they can persist in soils for many years.
Fungicides are another common product used to control fungal pathogens. In-furrow applications and seed treatments with fungicides have some effect in decreasing disease instance but in most cases, the timing isn't right and the pathogen can still infect the plants. Foliar applications of fungicides have no effect on disease suppression for SDS because the fungi are found in the soil and mainly the roots of the plants. Most foliar fungicides do not move downward through plants, therefore having no effect on the pathogen.
Cladosporium fulvum is an Ascomycete called "Passalora fulva", a non-obligate pathogen that causes the disease on tomato known as the Tomato leaf mold. P. fulva only attacks tomato plants, especially the foliage, and it is a common disease in the greenhouses, but can also occur in the field. The pathogen is likely to grow in humid and cool conditions. In the greenhouses, this disease causes big problems during the fall, in the early winter and spring, due to the high relative humidity of air and the temperature, that are propitious for the leaf mold development. This disease was first described in the North Carolina, by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke (1883), on cultivated tomato (Cooke 1883), although it is original from South and Central America. The causal fungus of tomato leaf mold may also be referred as Cladosporium fulvum (Cooke 1883), a former name.
Strawberry foliar nematode is a disease common in strawberries and ornamental plants that can greatly affect plant yield and appearance, resulting in a loss of millions of dollars of revenue. Symptoms used to diagnose the disease are angular, water soaked lesions and necrotic blotches. "Aphelenchoides fragariae" is the nematode pathogen that causes the disease. Its biological cycle includes four life stages, three of which are juvenile. The nematode can undergo multiple life cycles in one growing season when favorable conditions are present. They can infect the crowns, runners, foliage, and new buds of the plant via stylet penetration or through the stomata. The best management practices for this disease are sanitation, prevention of induction of the pathogen to the environment, and planting clean seed or starter plants.
Canker and anthracnose generally refer to many different plant diseases of such broadly similar symptoms as the appearance of small areas of dead tissue, which grow slowly, often over years. Some are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore of major economic importance in agriculture and horticulture. Their causes include such a wide range of organisms as fungi, bacteria, mycoplasmas and viruses. The majority of canker-causing organisms are bound to a unique host species or genus, but a few will attack other plants. Weather and animals can spread canker, thereby endangering areas that have only slight amount of canker.
Although fungicides or bactericides can treat some cankers, often the only available treatment is to destroy the infected plant to contain the disease.