Chapter 2.

General classification of plant diseases

2.1. Based on the geographical distribution and extent of

Occurrence (Based on time of occurrence)
 According to prevalence and periodicity, the diseases can be classified into four groups.

1. Epidemic disease
2. Endemic disease
3. Sporadic disease
4. Pandemic disease
 1. Epidemic or Epiphytotic disease
 When disease occur in a large area, periodically, in a severe form causing huge
loss.

 The disease which occurs periodically in widespread areas, causes devastating

damage to the crops and spreads very fast from one place to another is called
epidemic disease.

 Epiphytotic is term applied to the infectious plant disease which spread widely but
occur periodically.

 The causal agent may be regularly present in the locality but the environment
favorable for its rapid development occurs only periodically.
 1. Epidemic (Epiphytotic) disease
 The epiphytotic diseases are thus very responsive to
variation in the environment.

 They might be occurring in the locality every year but

becomes severe on arrival of favorable environmental
conditions.

 A sudden outbreak of a disease periodically over a

widespread area in a devastatingly severe form causing
severe losses or complete destruction.

 Eg. wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis tritici),

 powder mildew (Erysiphe graminis vor tritici),
 Late blight of potato (phytophthora infestans).
 2. Endemic disease
 When disease appear more or less constantly every year in moderate to severe
form in a particular geographical region, i.e. country, district or location
 A disease which is regularly present in a certain region or a part of a region
(district) in a moderate to severe from is referred to as endemic.

3. Sporadic disease
 They are plant disease which occur only here or there at irregular
intervals and in relatively few instances.
Loose smut of wheat
 •A given disease may be endemic in one region and epidemic in
another.
 The disease which occurs at irregular intervals over limited areas is
called sporadic disease.
 Examples: E.g. Loose smut of wheat, Udbatta disease of rice
Udbatta disease of rice
 4. Pandemic disease
 A particular disease that occurs all over the world and cause heavy damage is called pandemic disease

 Diseases occurring throughout the continent or sub-continent resulting in mass mortality

 When an epidemic disease spreads over continents or subcontinents and involves mass mortality it is
considered as pandemic.

 The outbreak of black stem rust of wheat in India during 1947 is best example for a pandemic disease

 Other examples e.g., Late blight of potato & Wheat stem rust

Late blight of potato

2.2. Classification of plant disease based on plant part affected
 Based on the plant parts affected, the diseases can be classified into following four
groups.

1.Foliage disease: The diseases which appear on above ground parts of plants, especially
foliage are known as foliar diseases.

2.Shoot/stem disease. The diseases affecting stem system are termed as stem diseases

3.Root disease: The diseases affecting root system are termed as root diseases.

4.Fruit disease: The diseases affecting fruit are termed as fruitdiseases

5.Vascular disease: When the pathogens attack vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) and
cause diseases, those are called vascular diseases.

• Examples: Bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum)

2.2. Classification of plant disease based on host plants affected
 Based on the host plants affected the diseases can be classified into following six groups.

i) Diseases of cereal crops: The diseases affecting food grain crops such as rice, wheat,
maize, millets, sorghum, oats, etc. are called the diseases of cereal crops.
 Examples: Blast disease of rice, wheat rust, smut of sorghum, brown spot of maize,
root rot of ragi, etc.

ii) Diseases of horticultural crops: Horticulture is a branch that deals with vegetables,
fruits and ornamental crops.
• The diseases affecting these plants are known as the diseases of horticultural crops.
• Examples: Club root of cabbage, tomato wilt, anthracnose of mango, citrus canker,
powdery mildew of rose, etc.
2.2. Classification of plant disease based on host plants affected

iii) Diseases of plantation crops: The plantation crops such as coffee, tea, rubber, cocoa,
etc. are affected by various pathogens causing diseases which are called the diseases of
plantation crops.

Examples: Coffee rust, blister blight of tea, etc.

iv) Diseases of oil seed crops: The diseases which affect the oil seed crops like sunflower,
mustard, groundnut, coconut, linseed, castor, etc. are called the diseases of oil seed crops.
Examples: Tikka disease of groundnut, stem bleeding of coconut, castor, etc.
2.2. Classification of plant disease based on host plants affected
v) Diseases of pulse crops: The crops such as gram, peas, cowpea, soyabean, etc. grown for
human consumption to get protein are called pulse crops.

• The pathogens infect these crops and cause diseases are called the diseases of pulse
crops.

• Examples: Anthracnose of cowpea, wilt of gram, downy mildew of peas, leaf spot of
soyabean, etc.
vi) Diseases of cash crops: The crops such as sugarcane, cotton, jute, tobacco, etc. grown
for commercial purpose are known as cash crops.

• The diseases affecting these crops are called the diseases of cash crops.

• Examples: Red rot of sugarcane, root rot of cotton, root knot of tobacco, etc.
 2.3. Classification of plant disease based on types of crop
affected
On the basis of crop disease can be:

1. Wheat disease,

2. Sorghum disease,

3. Mango disease,

4. Maize disease,

5. Potato disease,

6. Teff disease,

7. Sugarcane disease, etc

 2.4. Classification of plant disease based on the source of inoculums
or based perpetuation and spread of pathogen
1] Soil-borne diseases- pathogen survive in soil or on
infested plant debris present on the soil either as their
resting spores or as mycelial strands and rhizomorphs.
 E.g. Root rot, wilt and seedling blight.
Root rot
2] Seed borne disease - When the pathogen perpetuates in
seed (or any propagation material).
 e.g. Loose smut of wheat

3] Air borne disease – When

pathogen are disseminated by wind.
e.g. rusts and powdery mildews.

RUST
2.5. Classification of plant disease based mode of
multiplication of pathogen or pathogen generations
Number of generation of infection cycle disease are grouped into:
1. Simple interest/ Monocyclic diseases
2. Compound interest/ polycyclic diseases
3. Polyetic diseases

1. Simple interest/ Monocyclic diseases:

 those diseases the increase of which is analogous of increase in money due to simple
interest. i.e those diseases which have only generation in one cropping season
 Only primary inoculum is present, no secondary inoculum.
 Severity is related to amount of inoculum.
 E.g. Soil borne diseases (Root rot, wilt), Post harvest diseases, disease which
require two host (Rust)e.g. loose smut of wheat, Pythium sp., & Rhizoctonia sp.
2. Compound interest/ polycyclic diseases: Those diseases which have more than one
generation in a cropping season.

 Several cycles of pathogen complete in one season.

 Severity of disease is related to amount of pathogen inoculum, their reproduction and

survival of pathogen. i.e. Severity of disease is more.

 Both primary and secondary inoculum is present.

 • E.g. Air borne diseases like leaf spot, powdery mildew, late blight of potato, Wheat
stem rust, rice blast, powdery mildew diseases etc

3. Polyetic diseases: These are also polycyclic diseases but they complete their disease
cycle in more than one year over years e.g. Cedar Apple Rust
2.6. Classification of plant disease based on the signs and symptoms
produced by the pathogens

 Rusts • Anthracnose
 Smuts • root rots
 Rots • fruit rots
 Blight • Leaf blight
 Leaf spot • Damping off
 Canker • Soft rot etc.
 Wilt
 Downy mildews
 Prowdery mildew
 2.6. Classification of plant disease based on casual agents/factors or
Infection Process
 On the basis of causal factors, (Pathogen identity) the plant diseases can be broadly be
divided in to:
1. Non- infectious disease\non parasitic disease/ abiotic/animate causes
 Non-infectious diseases can not be transmitted to a healthy plant.
 Also referred as non-parasitic disorders or simply physiological disorders, and are incited
by abiotic or inanimate causes like
 Nutrient deficiency or excess or unfavorable weather conditions of soil and air or
injurious mechanical influences
2. Infectious disease\Parasitic disease/biotic inanimate causes.
 Diseases that are caused by animate causes such as Fungi, bacteria, virus, viroids,
phytoplasma, RLBs, nematodes, higher parasitic plants etc.
 2.6.1. Non-Infectious Plant Diseases
Non-Infectious Plant diseases includes disease caused by

1. Unfavorable metrological factors

2. Soil moisture imbalance

3. Nutritional imbalance

4. Atmospheric impurities

5. Improper cultural practices (Incorrect use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers)

 2.6.1.1. Unfavorable metrological factors
 Meteorological factors such as higher temperature, deficiency of light intensity, wind
and storm cause various type of symptoms on host plants.

1. Temperature: Sudden rise and fall in temperature causes injury to plants.

 Harmful effects of chilling, freezing and sunburn are well known.

 The plants may get adapted to their climate and show chill or frost resistance.

A. Chilling injury: It occurs at temperature close to 0 oC

 Tropical plants begin to experience cold damage at 5-10 oC
 Symptoms include wilting of the upper portions of stems and leaves, blackening or
softening of the plant tissue, surface pitting, necrosis or failure of ripening of fruits.
 This injury is severe in some warm season fruits.
 2.6.1.1. Unfavorable metrological factors…
B. Freezing or Frost injury:
 It occurs at temperatures below 0 oC
 It is caused by formation of ice. Since water in the intercellular spaces is
pure, ice crystals are first formed there, then inside the cells.
 The crystals formed inside the cells damage the cell organelles.
C. High temperature and dry winds: They cause rapid loss of water. Frost injury in banana
 Leaf margins turn yellow or brown and leaves fall off prematurely.
 Sun-scald injury occurs when shade loving plants are suddenly exposed to
direct sun.
 Sunken brown areas on apples, water-soaked areas on tomatoes are
examples of heat injury.
Water core of apple
 High temperature also causes water core symptoms in apple.
 2.6.1.1. Unfavorable metrological factors..
 Sunken brown areas on apples, water-soaked areas on tomatoes are examples of heat
injury.

 High temperature also causes water core symptoms in apple.

 The action of wind and storm brings about the root injury and wounds in plants which
makes plants more prone to pathogen attack.
2. Unfavorable light
 Insufficient light causes etiolation, stunted growth, and reduction in flowering.
 High light intensity leads to scorching and rolling of leaves and drying of flowers.
 Enhanced photoperiod results in abnormal shape, erratic flowering etc.
 2.6.1.2. Status of moisture contents or soil mixture extremes
I. Low soil moisture, which occurs during drought, causes accumulation of toxic ions of
manganese and boron, which damage tissues and cause stomatal closure.
 This adversely affects the plants.
 Wilting discolored foliage, twig and branch ‘die back’ in the crown, and death of fine roots are the
symptoms of water deficiency.
 Low soil moisture also causes stunted plant growth and the plant bears pale green to light yellow
leaves.
 If drought is continued, the perennial plants get defoliated and finally may wilt and die.
II. Excess soil moisture or flooding results in diminished oxygen supply in the soil water that kills
the root.
 Symptoms of oxygen deficiency, during high moisture are reduced growth, small leaves and thin
crowns, twig and branch ‘die back’ and plant death.
 In low oxygen plants become succulent which increases their susceptibility to certain pathogens.
 2.6.1.3. Nutritional disorders/ imbalance
 The symptoms of nutritional imbalance mainly occur due to the deficiency of
 Major nutrient (nitrogen, potash and phosphorus) they are macronutrient,
 Secondary nutrient (calcium, magnesium and sulphur) and
 Micro (zinc, iron, copper, molybdenum, manganese, chlorine and boron) nutrients in soil.

A.The deficiency symptoms of major nutrients

 Nitrogen deficiency appear as yellowing of leaves (loss of green colour), more particularly of
the leaf veins, followed by poor growth of plants;
 Inter-venial chlorosis followed by marginal necrosis on older leaves is the symptoms of
phosphorus deficiency,
 While marginal scorching on leaves at younger stage of plant indicates the deficiency of
potassium.
 2.6.1.3. Nutritional disorders/ imbalance
B. The deficiency symptoms of Secondary nutrient
 Calcium shows chlorosis followed by the death of leaf tips and margins and rolling of
leaves as well,

 Magnesium deficiency results in yellowing or chlorosis of leaves and the leaves may
also get reddened and show necrotic spots,

 Sulphur deficiency causes yellowing of leaves with subsequent abscission at later

stage.

 Younger leaves are more affected than the older ones.

 C. The deficiency symptoms of micronutrients
 Zinc deficiency induces mottling of leaves with prominent chlorosis towards veins and whitish
spots on the lamina.

 The iron-deficit plants exhibit chlorosis of leaves with dark-green veins followed by inter-veinal
necrosis and marginal scorching.

 Copper deficiency induces yellowing or dieback of younger leaves, sometime yellowing between
the veins,

 Molybdenum deficiency results in pale distorted narrow leaves,

 Manganese deficiency induces yellowing between the veins of younger leaves.

 Chlorine deficiency results in excessive marginal scorching of older leaves,

 Boron deficiency will slow down growth often stunting the whole plant and usually occurs on
younger plant tissue, further growing points die and leaves appear distorted.
The symptoms of mineral deficiencies is recorded in the following table:
No Deficient element Symptomes
1 Nitrogen Poor growth, chlorosis of leaves, delayed flowering and fruiting
2 Phosphorus Poor growth, blue/green, but not yellow, colour of leaves, oldest leaves affected first
3 Potassium Brown scorching and curling of leaf tip, yellowing of leaf veins
4 Calcium Curling and tip burn of leaves, stunted growth abnormal development of meristmatic tissues, and
eventual death of buds and root tips. Also causes bitter pit in apple.
5 Magnesium Interveinal chlorosis, giving a mottled appearance to leaves, similar to virus infection
6 Sulfur Chlorotic leaves, petioles and veins distinctly red
7 Iron Chlorosis of leaves, young leaves appear bleached, symptoms similar to manganese deficiency
8 Manganese Chlorotic leaves with green veins
9 Zinc Younger leaves yellow, pitting on lower leaf surface, leaves and internodes shortened, giving a
rosette-like look to plants; guttation increased
10 Copper Leaves pale and curled; petioles droop down
11 Boron Drying of growing tip, bushy stunted growth, and internal tissue breakdown.
12 Molybdenum Chlorosis of leaves; symptoms similar to nitrogen deficiency. Also causes whiptail disease in
cauliflower.
13 Chloride Leaves of abnormal shapes, and with interveinal chlorosis.
 2.6.1.4. Atmospheric impurities
 Another group of disease symptoms noticed extensively in plants is caused by air
pollutants which are released by various factories/industries in the form of gases and
smoke.

 The influence of theses pollutants on plants is varied and extensive.

 Gaseous fumes such as coal gas and smoke released from coal industry are injurious to
plants causing browning of leaf blade, pre-mature shedding of leaves and sometime
death of the plants.

 Similarly, fluorine/fluorides developed from the waste products in ceramic and

fertilizer industries cause marginal necrosis to plants.

 Ethylene produced by burning of natural gas adversely affects the plant growth
followed by leaf drooping
 2.6.1.5. Improper cultural practices
 Due to non-judicious use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, dark blackish brown
necrotic burning types of symptoms appear on different plant parts.

 These symptoms are exactly similar to leaf blight but can be identified under
microscope by the absence of pathogens on host plants.
 2.7.1. Infectious plant disease (Taxonomy, structure,
and reproduction of plant pathogens including);
1. Animate or biotic causes: Pathogens of living nature are categorized into the following.
(i) Fungi
(ii) Bacteria
(iii) Phytoplasma
(iv) Rickettsia-like organisms
(v) Algae
(vi) Phanerogams
(vii) Protozoa
(viii) Nematodes
2. Mesobiotic causes : These disease incitants are neither living or non-living, e.g.
(i) Viruses
(ii) Viroides
2.7.1. Infectious plant disease (Taxonomy, structure,
and reproduction of plant pathogens including);

2.7.1.1. Fungi as plant pathogens