CROP PROTECTION

Plant Pathology Phase

Laboratory Exercise No. 1

Causes of Plant Diseases

Introduction
In studying plant disease, it is essential to know their causes. There are two main groups that cause
plant disease; the abiotic or non- parasitic agents and biotic or parasitic agents of plant disease.
The abiotic or non-parasitic agents of plant disease are factors necessary for plant growth.
However, these factors are either in excess or in deficient amounts, thereby, causing physiological
disorders or disease in plants. Example of these factors are light, water, oxygen, temperature and soil
moisture.
The biotic or parasitic agents of plant diseases includes fungi, fungal-like oomycetes, bacteria,
phytoplasma, nematodes, viruses, viroids, flagellate, protozoa and phanerograms. All of these depend on
the host plant for food and survival.

Objectives
To be able to familiarize with pathogen causing plant disease and study their structures and
characteristics

Materials
Adult grasshopper and spider preserved in 70-80% alcohol, Mites mounted on glass slides, forceps,
dissecting needles, dissecting pan, pencil, eraser, paper etc.

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 MATERIALS

I. Fungal pathogens
A. Slide mounts of fungal pathogens
B. Pure cultures of fungal pathogens: Alternaria, Bipolaris, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Pyricularia,
And Rhizoctonia.
II. Fungal-like oomycetes
A. Slide mounts of fungal-like oomycetes
B. Pure cultures of fungal-like oomycetes: Phytophthora and Pythium
III. Bacterial pathogens
A. Slide mounts of bacteria
B. Pure cultures of bacterial plant pathogens: Pectobacterium carotovorum, Ralstonia
solanacearum and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae
IV. Phytoplasmas
A. Electron micrographs of Phytoplasma
B. Photographs of plants with diseases caused by Phytoplasma
Aster yellows in tomatoes, carrots, and onion
Citrus stubborn disease

V. Nematodes
A. Semi-permanent mounts of plant parasitic nematodes: Hemicrioconemoides,
Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Radopholus and, Rotylenchulus.

VI. Viruses
Electron micrographs of viruses showing different shapes.

VII. Viroids
A. Electron micrographs of viroids
B. Photographs of plant diseases caused by viroids:
Cadang-cadang of coconut
Potato Spindle Tuber

VIII. Flagellate protozoa

A. Electron micrographs of flagellate protozoa
B. Photographs of plant diseases caused by flagellate protozoa:
Phloem necrosis of coffee
Heartrot disease of coconut palms
Sudden wilt disease (Marchitez supresssiva) of oil palms

IX. Parasitic Plants (Phanerograms)

A. Fresh specimens of parasitic plants: Loranthus philippinensis, and Cuscuta spp.
B. Photographs of plants parasitized by phanerograms

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 METHODS

Drawing sheets are provided at the end of the exercise.

1. Examine prepared mounts of fungi, fungi-like oomycetes, bacteria and nematodes under the
microscope. Draw and label the structures observed.

2. Examine, compare and draw the different cultures of fungi, fungal-like oomycetes, and bacterial
pathogens. Note down their growth characteristics and color.

3. Examine electron micrographs of phytoplasmas, viruses, viroids and flagellate protozoa. Draw
and describe the characteristics of the pathogens.

4. Draw the parasitic plants and label the parts. Sketch and label the specimens. Describe the
symptoms (i.e., color, shape, part of the plant affected).

REFERENCES
AGRIOS, G.N. 2005. Plant pathology. 5th Ed. 955p. New York: Academic Press.
DICKINSON, C.H and B.B 1975. Plant Pathology and Plant Pathogens. Oxford: Blackwell
Scientific.
ILAG, L.L and L.L ILAG. 2002. Learning the Principles of Plant Phatology. 2 nd Ed College,
Laguna: UPLB-CA.

SCHUMAN, G.L, 1993. Plant Diseases: their Biology and Social Impact. St Paul, Minnesota:
American Phytopathological Society.

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3. FUNGI: Kingdom Fungi
A. List the common fungal genera shown in class. Draw the fungal structures seen in the slide mount.
Describe the characteristics of the pure culture.
Fungal Genus Pure Culture in Plate Characteristics of Slide Mount of
(Drawing) Pure Culture Conidia and
(Color, Growth, Conidiophores
Margin) (Drawing)
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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B. Below is a list the plant diseases caused by fungi. Give the scientific name of pathogen.

Common Name of The Disease Scientific Name of Pathogen

1. Rice Blast
2. Leaf spot of corn
3. Leaf spot of peanut
4. Rust of peanut
5. Rust of corn
6. Mango anthracnose
7. Sheath blight of rice
8. Powdery mildew of beans
9. Leaf spot of mungbean
10. Okra leaf mold

II. FUNGAL-LIKE OOMYCETES: Kingdom Protista

A. Below are examples of fungal-like oomycetes. Draw the colony growth and characterize structures as
seen in the slide mounts of pictures. Describe the characteristics of each species.

Fungal-like Pure Culture in Characteristics Sporangia,

Oomycetes Species Plates (Drawing) (Color, Growth, sporangiophores,
Margin) mycelia, etc.
(Drawing)
Pythium
debaryanum

Phytophthora
colocasiae

Phytophthora
infestans

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B. Below is a list of plant disease caused by fungal-like oomycetes. Give the scientific name of the
pathogen.

Common Name of the Disease Scientific Name of Pathogen

1.Damping-off of seedlings
2.Potato leaf blight
3.Downy mildew of corn
4.Downy mildew of cucurbits

III. BACTERIA: Kingdom Eubacteria

A. Below are bacterial species grown on PDPA. Describe their growth characteristics.

Bacterial Species Pure Culture Colony characteristics

(Drawing) (color, elevation, margin)

Ralstonia solanacearum

Pectobacterium
carotovorum

Xanthomonas oryzae
Pv. oryzae

Xanthomonas axonopodis
pv. dieffenbachiae

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C. Below is a list of plant disease caused by bacterial pathogens. Give the scientific name of the
pathogen.

Name of Disease Scientific Name of Pathogen

1. Bacterial blight of rice
2. Bacterial wilt of tomato, eggplant
3. Soft rot of vegetables
4. Citrus canker
5. Bacterial blight of anthurium
6. Leaf spot of poinsettia

IV. PHYTOPLASMA: Kingdom Eubacteria

A. Draw the various shapes of Phytoplasma

B. List the plant diseases caused by Phytoplasma

V. NEMATODES: Kingdom Animalia

A. List diseases caused by plant parasitic nematodes and the species name.
Common Name of Disease Scientific Name
1. Root Knot of Solanaceous crop Meloidogyne incognita
2.
3.
4.
5.

VI. VIRUS

A. Draw the six different shapes of viruses.

1. 2. 3.

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 4. 5. 6.

B. List the plant diseases caused by viruses. Name the virus that causes the disease.

Common name of the disease Scientific name of the virus

1. Tobacco mosaic a. Tobacco mosaic virus
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

VII. VIROID
A. Draw a viroid from electron micrographs or models

B. List diseases caused by viroids.

1.
2.
3.

VIII. FLAGELLATE PROTOZOA: Kingdom Protista

A. Draw a typical flagellate protozoan from electron micrographs or drawings.

B. List plant diseases caused by flagellate protozoa

IX. PHANEROGRAMS: Kingdom Plantae

Draw the phanerograms shown in class and label the parts. Be able to distinguish the
phanerogram from the host.

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