HISTORY OF PLANT PATHOLOGY

LANDMARKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANT PATHOLOGY

1.Ancient period:
A literature of European and vedic eras will give us some information on the plant diseases
and their control measures. Earlier people were aware about plant diseases but they aware
unable explain scientifically hence they believed that plant diseases were a manifestation of
the wrath of God and, therefore, that avoidance or control of the disease depended on people
doing things that would please that same superpower.
In the fourth century b.c.; the Romans suffered so much from hunger caused by the repeated
destruction of cereal crops by rusts and other diseases that they created a separate god, whom
they named Robigus. To please Robigus, the Romans offered prayers and sacrifices in the
belief that he would protect them from the dreaded rusts. The Romans even established a
special holiday for Robigus, the Robigalia, during which they sacrificed red dogs, foxes, and
cows in an attempt to please and pacify Robigus so he would not send the rusts to destroy
their crops.
The first person to study and write about the plant diseases is the Greek philosopher
Theophrastus. He made observations on the plant diseases in his book enquiry into plants.
His experiences were mostly based on imagination and observation but not on
experimentation.
Theophrastus (370 B.C. – 286 B.C)
 First botanist to study and write about the diseases of trees, cereals and legumes.
 He divided the plant diseases into external and Internal. External diseases are
caused by external factors like Temperature, Moisture etc; internal diseases are caused
by internal conditions of plant.
 He stated that different plants are affected by different types of diseases
 Some plants are prone to infection than others. Ex: Cereals are most affected by Rust
than pulses. Among cereals Barley is more attacked than any other crop.
 First to recognize influence of environment and topography of the land on plant
diseases. Example: Plant grown in elevated areas are less affected than plant grown in
low land.
 He wrote two important books: 1. Historia plantarum (the enquiry into plants)
2. Decauses Plantarum
 Regarded as Father of Botany
In India, the information on plant diseases is available in ancient literature such as rigveda,
atharveda (1500-500BC), arthasashtra of Kautilya (321-186 BC), Sushruta sanhita (200-
500AD), Vishnupuran (500AD), Agnipuran (500-700AD), Vishnu dharmottar (500-700AD),
etc. In Rigveda, not only the classification of plant diseases has been given but the germ
theory of disease was also advocated.
Vriksha ayurveda by Surpal in ancient India is the first book in which lot of information on
plant diseases is available. In this book, plant diseases were categorized into two groups,
internal (probably physiological diseases) and external (probably infectious diseases).
External diseases were supposed to be due to attack of microorganisms and insects. In this
book, a mention of treatments for different diseases caused by different agencies was
prescribed which were based on superstition as well as scientific observation. Hygiene, tree
surgery, protective covering with pastes and special culture of plants are practices which are
still recommended. In chemical treatments, use of honey, ghee, milk, barley flour, pastes
made from herbs, plant extracts, etc., were recommended. For the control of root diseases,
oilcakes of mahuva, mustard, sesame, castor, etc., were used.
Symptoms of plant diseases such as rust, downy mildew, powdery mildew and blight are
often mentioned in the bible, Shakesphere’s poems and dramas of other Christian literature.
In Jataka of Buddhism, Raghuvansh of Kalidas there was also a mention about different
symptoms of plant diseases.

(1) P.A. Micheli (Pier Antonio Micheli) (1729):

 He was first to study the fungi and saw the spores of fungi.
 First man to attempt pure culture of fungi growing artificially on Melon pieces
 He described the 1900 plants among awhich 900 were fungi
 He published a Monograph – “Nova Plantarum Genera”
 He is considered as “Father of Mycology”
(2) Buller: Mechanism of spore discharge in Fungi (Buller phenomenon)

(3) Carl Linnaeus (1753):

 He was using latin binomial system for naming the plants & fungi.
 He published – “Species Plantarum”
 He is considered as “Father of Botany”
(4) Tillet (1755):
 He published a paper on “Bunt or stinking smut of wheat”.
  Reported wheat seeds that containing black powder on their surface produced more
diseasesd plants than the clean seeds.
 Beleived that the toxin present in the black powder caused the disease rather than the
fungus.
 He showed contagious (infectious) nature of “wheat bunt” disease.
(5) Persoon, C.H. (1801):
 First to gave real systematic of fungi and laid the foundation for taxonomy of fungi
 He published a Book – “Synopsis Methodica Fungorum”.
 He classified many fungi using binomial nomenclature as Uredinales, Ustilaginales
and Gasteromycetes.
(6) Fries Elias Magnus (E.M. Fries) (1821-1832):
 He published “Systema Mycologicum”.
 He regarded as “Linnaeus” of Mycology. “Father of Systematic mycology”
 He considered rust and smut fungi as a products of the diseased plants.
(7) Prevost (1807) :
 He proved that diseases are caused by microorganisms.
 He was first man to show microorganism as disease causing agent.
 He discovered the life cycle of “Bunt fungus”.
 He observed the spore germination in bunt fungus.
 He was the first man to suggest or use of chemical copper sulphate for seed
treatment to control seed borne disease.
(8) Anton De Bary (1831-1888):
 German Scientist born in 1831
 Experimentally proved that the Phytophthora infestans was the cause of late blight.
 He studied late blight of potato fungus, its nomenclature and renamed it as
Phytophthora infestans (infectious plant destroyer)
 Studied the other diseases also such as rust, smut, downy mildews.
 First to study the physiology of plant disease and reported the role of enzymes and
toxin in tissue degradation caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in carrot.
 Reported heteroecious nature of Rust fungi.
 Introduced the terms Biotrophs, Facultative parasite and Facultative saprophytes
 Reported the plasmodial stage of Myxomycetes
 Authored two books:
1. Morphology and Physiology of Fungi, lichens and Myxomycetes (1867)
 2. Comparative Mophology and biology of the Fungi, Mycetozoa and Bacteria (1884)
 For all his contributions regarded as
1. Founder of “Modern Experimental Plant Pathology”.
2. Father of “Plant Pathology”
 Guided the no. students among them
Woronin (Russia), Brefeld (Germany), Millardet (France), Ward (England), Farlow (USA)

(9) M. J. Berkeley (1855) :

 Observed root knot nematodes in galls of cucumber.
 Founder of Mycology in Bristish - described 6000 species of fungi
 Studied the Late blight of potato pathogen, Rust of coffee and Grape downy mildew.
Authored books: 1. Outlines of British Fungology
2. Introdcution to cryptogamic botany
(10) Julius Gotthelf Kuhn (1858) :
 Published a text book in Plant Pathology entitled “The Diseases of Cultivated
Crops, Their Causes and Their Control”.
 Demonstrated the penetration of Bunt fungus into wheat and its development in the
plant.
 Copper sulphate seed treatment was standardized and brought into usage at farmers
level.
 He studied the Rusts, Smuts of cereals, ergot sooty mold and diseases of Mustard.
(11) Robert Harting (1935-1901):
 Worked on Forest Pathology
 He wrote two important books in German on :
(1) Important Diseases of Forest Trees (1874)
(2) Text Book of Tree Diseases (1882)
 He is called the “Father of Forest Pathology”.
(12) Brefeld & its colleague (1875-1912) :
 Discovered the methods of artificial culture of micro-organisms i.e. gave “Pure
culture Techniques”.
 Given the Single spore isolation technique
 Studied the life cycle of Cereal smut
(13) Pierre Marie Alexis Millardet (P.M.A. Millardet) (1882) :
  He discovered the Bordeaux mixture in 1882 for the control of downy mildew of
grape caused by Plasmopara viticola.
 studied the root aphid phylloxera of the grape vine and hybridization experiments in
order to have resistant plants.
(14) M.S.Woronin (Russia)
 Discovered the cause of Club root of Cabbage (Plasmodiophora brassicae)
 Studied its life cycle
 Suggested the removal of infected plants and burning them to destroy the resting
spore
(15) R. H. Biffen (1905):
 Resistance to yellow rust in wheat was inherited and Follow Mendelian Fashion.
 First to develop Rust resistance variety “Ribet” against Yellow rust of wheat
(Puccinia striiformis)
(16) Flor (1955):
 Given “Gene for Gene Hypothesis” concept in Flax against Rust (Melampsora lini).
"For each gene confers resistance in the host there is a corresponding gene in the
pathogen that confers Avirulence and vice-versa".

(17) Vander Plank (1963):

 Given the concept - Horizontal and vertical resistance, Threshold theorem,
Vertifolia effect, AUDPC (Area under Disease Progress Curve )
 He written books on
(i) Disease Resistance in Plants (1968)
(ii) Principles of Plant Infections (1975).
(iii) Plant Diseases: Epidemics and Control (1963)
 Regard as Father of Epidemiology
(18) H.M.Ward (1901)
 Worked on coffee rust and life cycle of pathogen.
 Elucidated the role of environment in coffee rust epidemics.
 Demonstrated the Hypersensitive phenomenon in Borme grass infected with brown
rust.
 Wrote book: Diseases in plants
 Regarded as Father of Tropical Plant Pathology
(19) J. H. Craigie (1927)
 Discovered the function of Pycniospore of Puccinia graminis tritici
 Discovered the sexual stage of Rust fungi.
20. E.C. Stakman:
 Showed existence of physiological races in wheat rust.
 Coined term Hypersensitivity.
 Wrote book: Principles of plant pathology.
21. Blackslee: Gave concept of Heterothallism in Fungi.
22. J.C.Walker:

 Reported the role of Phenolic compound in plant defense mechanism

 Reported the resistance of coloured onion bulbs to smudge fungus (Colletotrichum
circinans) was due to catechol and Protochatecuic acid present in the dry
scale
 He wrote two books on
 Plant Pathology (1968)
 Diseases of Vegetable Crops (1952).
23. Muller and Cruckshank:
 Involvement of Phytoallexin in plant disease resistance.
Bacteriology:
1. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek:
 He was a "cloth merchant" living in Delft Holland.
 Developed magnifying lenses (300- 500 times magnification).
 He developed simple microscope
 First to discover the micro-organism like – Bacteria, Protozoa, alage and named them as
“Little animalcules”.
 He is regarded as Father of ‘bacteriological world’.
2. Luis Pasteur:
 Proved the germ theory
 coined the terms Aerobic, anaerobic organisms
 Proved fermentation is biological process
 Developed Pasteurization process
 Developed vaccine for Rabies disease
 Regarded as “Father of Microbiology”
3. Robert Koch (1876) :
  He proved that the anthrax disease of cattle is caused by a bacterium (Bacillus
anthracis).
 He gave Koch’s rules or Koch’s postulates or proof of pathogenicity.
 Use of Gelatin as a solidifying agent
 Found causal organism of Tuberculosis disease.
 He considered as “Father of Medical bacteriology”.
 Regarded as father of bacteriological techniques
Koch’s postulates:
1. The suspected micro-organism must be present in every diseased host.
2. The suspected causal agent must isolated from the diseased host and grown in pure
culture.
3. The specific disease must be produced when a pure culture of the suspected causal
agent is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host.
4. The same causal agent must be recovered again from the experimentally inoculated
and infected host.
4. T.J. Burrill (1878) :
 He first time proved that the fireblight of apple & pear was caused by a bacterium
(Erwinia amylovora).
 First to Show Bacteria can cause plant disease
5. E. F. Smith (1900)
 Final proof for bacteria can cause plant disease
 Studied bacterial wilt of cucumber, Crown gall of apple
 Gave Fourth Step of Koch’s postulates
 Wrote books : ‘Bacterial diseases of plants’, ‘Bacteria in relation to plant diseases’
 Father of “Phyto bacteriology”
 He first time demonstrated that budding or grafting could be another method of
transmission of plant viruses.
6. Walther and Frau Hessey (1881)
 Used Agar –Agar as a solidifying agent in media.
7. R.J.Petri
 Developed the petriplates (two circular plates holding the media)
8. Doi and Ishi (1967):
 Discovered Mycoplasma like organisms (MLO’s) causing yellows type diseases
(Mulberry dwarf, Aster yellows) in plants.
  Ishi et al Reported Tetracycline can be used for Management
9. Davis and Worley, J.E. (1972) :
 He first time discovered “Spiroplasma” in corn stunt disease.
10. Windsor, I.M. and Black, L.M. (1972) :
 He observed first occurrence of Rickettsia like organisms (RLO’s) in clover club
leaf disease.
Virology:
1. Carolus Clusius
 Recorded breaking of tulips due to viral infection
(2) Adolph Mayer (1886):
 First time discovered the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) disease.
 Named the symptom as “Mosaic”
 Showed that sap transmission of disease.
 He demonstrated that this disease (TMV) could be transmitted from diseased to
healthy plants by the sap from leaves showing mosaic symptoms.

(3) Dimitrii Ivanowski (1892) :

 He demonstrated that tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) could pass through even those
filters that retained (to keep) bacterial cells. So he suggested that viruses were
smaller than smallest known bacterium.
(4) M.W. Beijerinck (1898) :
 He concluded that Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) was caused by “Contagium Vivum
Fluidum” (infectious living fluid) which he called a “VIRUS”.
 He discovered the causal agent of Tobacco mosaic disease.
 Coined the term ‘Virus’
 Father of Plant Virology
(5) Stanley, W.M. (1935) :
 He purified and crystallized Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV).
 Reported Viruses are protenacious molecules
 He got Noble Prize.
(6) F. C. Bawden and N. W. Pirree (1938)
 Proved that Viruses were Nucleo-proteins.
 Showed that TMV consist of 95% protein and 5% Nucleic acid
(7) Gierrer and Schramm:
  Showed RNA of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is infectious not the protein part.
(8) Knoll and Ruska (1932)
 First invented electron microscope
(9) Diener, T.O. (1971) :
 Discovered the ‘VIROIDS’
 Determined that potato spindle tuber disease is caused by small molecules of
infectious ribonucleic acid (RNA) which he called “VIROIDS”.
(10) Stanley Prsuiner
 Discovered the Prions causing Scrapie disease in Sheep
(11) A.N.Fire and C.C.Mello (2006)
 Awarded Nobel Prize for their work on RNA Interference gene silencing by ds
RNA.

NEMATOLOGY:
(1) Nathan Augustus Cobb (N.A. Cobb) (1913-1932) :
 He contributed a lot to nematode morphology, taxonomy and methodology.
 Given the term "Nematology"
 Given techniques for seperation nematodes from soil - Cobbe Seive technique
 He is considered as “Father of Plant Nematology”.
(2) T. Needham (1743):
 He reported first plant parasitic nematodes in wheat-galls-Ear cockle of wheat
(Anguina tritici).

History of Plant Pathology in India:

D. D. Kunnighham (1850-1875)
 collection and Identification of Fungi of India
 Identified the causal agent of Red rust of tea in Assam (Cephaleurous virescens).
 Studied the Rust and Smuts
K.R. Kirthikar
 First Indian Scientist to collect fungi and Indentify in India
E.J. Butler (1905):
 First cryptogamist to India
 worked on red rot of Sugarcane, Wilt of Red gram, Rice diseases
 studied the life cycle of smut diseases.
  He wrote book on “Fungi and Disease in Plants” in 1918.
 Monograph "Pythiaceous and Allied Fungi"
 Established Herbarium At IARI
 He considered as “Father of Indian Plant Pathology”.
 He became First Director of Imperial Mycological Institute (1929)
J.F. Dastur (1886-1971) :
 First Indian plant Pathologist credited for Detailed study of Fungi and Plant diseases.
 He was studied the genus Phytophthora and diseases of castor.
 He is internationally known for establishing the species of Phytophthora parasitica
from castor.
Mehta, K.C. (1929):
 Worked on Epidemiology of Wheat rust
 He also proved Barbery has no role in perpetuation of rust fungi in India.
 Discovering the disease cycle of cereal rusts in India.
 Wrote Monograph : Further studies on Cereal Rust In India (1940)
 Regarded as Father of cereal Rusts in India
B.B. Mundkur (1948) :
 He worked on Managment of cotton wilt through Resistance breeding
 Worked on Smut fungi, wilt diseases.
 He published a textbook “Fungi and Plant Diseases”,
 Wrote Monograph: Ustilaginales in India
 He started single handed “Indian Phytopathological Society” with its journal
“Indian Phytopathology” in 1948.
M.J. Thirumalachar
 He successfully introduced the use of antibiotics in control of plant diseases eg.
Aureofungin and Streptocycline.
 Extensively studied the Smuts and Rusts
 Wrote Monograph: Uredinales of world, Cercosporae

J.C. Luthra and his associates:

 He developed the solar treatments of wheat seed for control of loose smut (internally
seed borne disease).

T.S.Sadasivan:
 Worked on biochemistry of Host- Parasite Relation
 Developed the concept of Vivotoxin
  Worked on the mechanism of Cotton wilt (due to Fusaric acid)

S. N. Dasgupta:
 Worked on biochemistry of Host- Parasite Relation
 Studied the Black tip of Mango

M.K. Patel (1948-51):

 Studied the bacterial plant diseases in cotton, paddy.
 Proposed new family Phytobacteriaceae to include all the phytopathogenic bacteria
 Devised a synthetic medium known as PATEL’s MEDIUM to cultivate bacterium.
 Discovered several Xanthomonas and Psuedomonas species causing plant diseases.
 Regarded as Father of Phytobacteriology.

Nene Y.L.
 worked on pigeonpea sterility mosaic disease
 Reported Khaira Disease of Paddy due to Zn deficiency
 published books on: 1. Fungicides in plant disease control
2. Viral diseases of pulse crops in U.P.
G.S. Kulkarni: a student of Butler, generated detail information on downy mildew and smut
of jowar and bajra.
S.L. Ajrekar: a student of Butler, studied wilt disease of cotton, sugarcane smut and ergot of
jowar
Manoranjan Mitra: He was considered as one of the most critical plant pathologist worked
on Helminthosporium. He first reported Karnal bunt of wheat in 1931 from Karnal in
Haryana.
T.S. Ramakrishnan: a mycologist to Madras Government cultivated ergot diseased rye for
toxin production. He published two books entitled Diseases of Millets (1963) and
Diseases of Rice (1971). Renowned plant pathologists viz., G Rangaswami and R.
Ramakrishnan were his students.