CONCEPTS OF PLANT DISEASES

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS

CLASSIFICATION OF PLANT
DISEASES
What is a plant disease?

Any malfunctioning/abnormality of the plant’s

cells and tissues that is caused by the
continuous irritation by a pathogenic agent
or environment leading to development of
symptoms.
 What are the consequences of
plant diseases?

Make plants less Cause non-marketable

fruits
Kill Plants
productive Wilting
Plants less vigorous Rotten fruits
Poor root system Deformed fruits
Spots on fruits

Lower Yield
or
No Yield!
 Symptoms of Plant Disease
• Refer to the expressions by the suscept or host of
pathologic condition by which a particular plant disease
may be distinguished from other diseases.
1. Primary symptoms-the immediate and direct results of
the causal agent’s activities on the invaded tissues.
2. Secondary symptoms- are the effects on the distant
and uninvaded plant parts.
3. Localized symptoms- distinct and very limited
structural changes usually in the form of lesions
(canker, leaf spot, gall) xylem, phloem
4. Systemic symptoms- more generalized pathological
conditions such as mottling, mosaic and wilting.
 Symptoms of Plant Disease
5. Histological Symptoms-internal and seen only
upon the dissection of the diseased plant portion
and examination under the microscope.
• expressed as an abnormality in cell content,
structure or arrangement.

• Cell enlargement and vascular discoloration are

histologic symptoms.

6. Morphological symptoms- malformations and

other changes that are visible to the naked eye.
 Classification of Symptoms based on
the effect on host tissues:
1. Plesionecrotic symptoms
• Pre-necrotic “near dead”; changes before actual
death of protoplast or cell; involves protoplasmic
disorganization and degeneration.
Examples: silvering, yellowing and wilting

2. Necrotic symptoms- death of protoplast, cells

or tissues.
Examples: spot, blight, scorch, canker, die-back
 General Classification of Symptoms

3. Hypoplastic symptoms
• inhibition or failure in the differentiation or
development of some aspect of growth.
Examples: stunting, chlorosis, mottle, mosaic, curling, and rosetting.

4. Hyperplastic symptoms
• excessive multiplication, enlargement, or overdevelopment
of plant organs including the abnormal prolonged retention
of green color.
Examples: gall formation, fasciation, scab, premature defoliation or
fruit drop and greening.
 General Classification of Symptoms
4. Hyperplastic symptoms

Hypertrophy- overdevelopment may result from an increase

in the size of cells

Hyperplasia- abnormal increase in number of cells

 Shoot blight

Leaf Leaf blight

deformations

Fruit spot

Fruit rot

Canker

Leaf spot

Wilt

Vascular wilt

Crown gall

Root rot
 Disease Symptoms

Chlorosis

Fruit spots Wilting

Leaf spots Fruit Rot Mosaic

Blast
Blight

Leafspots

Curling
Scab
Shothole
 Disease Symptoms

Sarcody Callus Russeting

Streak or Stripe Canker Damping-off

 Disease Symptoms

Etiolation Fasciation/
Die-back Fasciculation

Gumming/
Flecks Gummosis Leak
Mottling Mummification Pitting

Rosetting

Phyllody Veinclearing
Abscission Blotch

Bleeding
• SIGNS OF PLANT DISEASES

▪ Signs of plant diseases refer to the

structures of the pathogen that are found
associated with the infected plant.

▪ Examples:
▪ fungal mycelia, spores and fruiting bodies,
bacterial ooze, nematodes and plant parts of
phanerogams (parasitic flowering plants).
 Phanerogams
Bacterial ooze
Spores/Fruiting
bodies

Nematode
 PLANT DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

▪ Correct plant disease diagnosis is necessary for

recommending appropriate control measures, and in plant
disease surveys.

▪ Symptomatology – is done based on the characteristic

symptoms and signs, particularly for diseases which are
quite common and have distinct and obvious signs.
RULES OF PROOF OF PATHOGENICITY or
KOCH’S POSTULATES

Actual proof of
pathogenecity
require the
application of
Koch’s rules of
proof.

Robert Koch
 KOCH’S POSTULATES states that:

1. The suspected pathogen must always be

present in the plant when the disease occurs.

2. The organism which is believed to cause

the disease must be isolated and grown in
pure culture.

Ralstonia solanacearum
 KOCH’S POSTULATES states that:

3) The pure culture of the organism must

produce the symptoms and signs of the
disease when inoculated into a healthy
plant.

4) The suspected causal organism must be

reisolated in pure culture from the
inoculated plant and must be identical to
the original organism.
Classification of Plant Diseases
1. according to affected plant organ
▪ Related to physiological processes
• Root diseases – affect water & mineral uptake
• Foliage diseases – affect photosynthesis
• Fruit diseases – affect reproduction
• Stem diseases – affect water conduction

2. according to symptom
• Leaf spots, rusts, smuts, anthracnoses, mosaics, wilts,
fruit rots
Classification of Plant Diseases
3. according to type of affected plant
▪ Vegetable diseases, diseases of field crops, diseases of
ornamentals

4. according to type of pathogen that causes the disease

a. Infectious diseases
• Diseases caused by fungi
• mycoplasmas
• bacteria
• viruses
• viroids
• protozoa
• parasitic flowering plants
• nematodes
Classification of Plant Diseases
b. Non-infectious diseases

• Diseases caused by non-parasitic or abiotic agents:

• Extremely high or excessively low temperatures
• Unfavorable oxygen relations
• Unfavorable moisture conditions
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Mineral toxicities,
• air pollution,
• toxicity of pesticides