Plants Diseases and Fungal Infection Control

Plant Disease, an impairment of the ordinary condition of a plant that modifies or interrupts its vital functions. Plant diseases can be classified as noninfectious or infectious, depending on the causative agent. Plant diseases cause major economic losses for farmers worldwide. Control of plant diseases is crucial to the reliable production of food, and it provides significant problems in agricultural use of land, water, fuel and other inputs. Plants in both natural and cultivated populations carry inherent disease resistance, but there are numerous examples of devastating plant disease impacts such as the Great Famine of Ireland and chestnut blight, as well as recurrent severe plant diseases like rice blast, soybean cyst nematode, and citrus canker.

Examples of Plant Diseases:

1. Leaf rust (common leaf rust in corn)
2. Stem rust (wheat stem rust)
3. Sclerotinia (white mold)
4. Powdery mildew

Fungal Infection Control:

Fungal infections also called mycoses represent the invasion of tissues by one or more species of fungi. They range from superficial, localized skin conditions to deeper tissue infections to serious lung, blood (septicemia) or systemic diseases. Inhalation of fungal spores or localized colonization of the skin may initiate persistent infections; therefore, mycoses often start in the lungs or on the skin.

Control:

1. Sterilization
2. Cleaning
3. Disinfection
4. Personal protective equipment
5. Antimicrobial surfaces