PLANT PATHOLOGY

Founding Figures

• Father of Plant Pathology: Anton de Bary

• Father of Indian Plant Pathology: E.J. Butler

• Father of Plant Virology: Beijerinck

• Father of Plant Bacteriology: E.F. Smith

• Indian associated with wheat rust: K.C. Mehta

Major Plant Diseases & Pathogens

Diseases of Rice

Disease Pathogen Type

Blast Pyricularia oryzae / Magnaporthe grisea Fungal (Air-borne)

Brown Spot Helminthosporium oryzae / Bipolaris oryzae Seed-borne

Bacterial Blight Xanthomonas oryzae Bacterial

Bakanae (Foot Rot) Gibberella fujikuroi Fungal

Sheath Blight Rhizoctonia solani Soil-borne

False Smut Ustilaginoidea virens Fungal

Rice Tungro Virus (Vector: Nephotettix virescens) Viral

Ufra Disease Ditylenchus angustus Nematode

Kresek Phase Symptom of bacterial leaf blight –

Diseases of Wheat

Disease Pathogen Control

Black Rust Puccinia graminis tritici Sulphur dust, Plantvax

Brown Rust P. recondita –

Yellow Rust P. striiformis –

Loose Smut Ustilago tritici Seed treatment: Vitavax, hot

Karnal Bunt Neovossia indica Quarantine issue

Flag Smut Urocystis tritici Seed treatment

Tundu Anguina tritici + Corynebacterium Complex

Molya Heterodera avenae Nematode

Disease Pathogen Notes

Wilt Fusarium oxysporum / Verticillium dahliae Soil-borne

Root Rot Macrophomina phaseolina –

Black Arm Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum Use streptomycin

Anthracnose Colletotrichum capsici Seed-borne

MLO Disease Mycoplasma-like organism Transmitted by jassid

Diseases of Sugarcane

Disease Pathogen Control

Red Rot Colletotrichum falcatum Hot water treatment

Smut Ustilago scitaminea Remove infected setts

Sett Rot Ceratocystis paradoxa –

Mosaic Virus (Vector: Rhopalosiphum maidis) –

Grassy Shoot MLO Hot water/aerated steam

Diseases of Bengal Gram

Disease Pathogen

Wilt Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri

Root Rot Macrophomina phaseolina

Blight Ascochyta rabiei

Pathogen Facts

• Most Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Gram-negative, rod-shaped

• Gram-positive Pathogens: Corynebacterium/Clavibacter

• Viruses: Mostly ssRNA, never both RNA & DNA

• Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV): Rod-shaped, ssRNA

• Viroid: RNA only (no protein), e.g., Potato spindle tuber

• Prion: Infectious protein (e.g., Mad Cow Disease)

• Phytoplasma (MLO): No cell wall, cause spike, phyllody diseases

• Spiroplasma: e.g., Citrus stubborn

• Bacteriophage: dsDNA virus that infects bacteria

Parasite Type Example Host

Total Stem Parasite Cuscuta Lucerne

Partial Stem Parasite Loranthus Trees

Total Root Parasite Orobanche Tobacco

Partial Root Parasite Striga Sorghum

Historical Events & Discoveries

• Irish Famine (1845): Caused by Phytophthora infestans

• Bengal Famine (1943): Caused by Helminthosporium oryzae

• Karnal Bunt: Discovered by Mitra et al. (1931)

• Electron Microscope: Knoll & Ruska (1932)

• Virus Crystallization: Stanley (1935)

• First Plant Pathology Book: Julius Kuhn (1858)

• Tetracycline: Controls Mycoplasma

• Bordeaux Mixture: Discovered by Millardet

Pioneers in Indian Plant Pathology

Scientist Contribution

E.J. Butler Wrote Fungi and Diseases in Plants (1910)

J.F. Dastur First Indian plant pathologist

B.B. Mundkar Identified smut fungi; Founded Indian Phytopathological Society (1948)

K.C. Mehta Discovered wheat rust life cycle

J.C. Luthra & Sattar Developed solar heat treatment for seeds

M.J. Thirumalachar Researched smuts, developed Oreofungin, Streptocyclin

Introduced Diseases in India

Disease Pathogen Introduced From Year

Coffee Leaf Rust Hemileia vastatrix Sri Lanka 1876

Fire Blight (Apple) Erwinia amylovora England 1940

Banana Bunchy Top Virus Sri Lanka 1940

Wart Disease (Potato) Synchytrium endobioticum Holland 1952

Golden Nematode (Potato) – Europe 1960s

Groundnut Rust – USA 1970s