WHAT IS A PLANT DISEASE?

The term DISEASE is coined by combining the words DIS + EASE = DISEASE.
The prefix DIS means negative, reverse, or opposite, and the word EASE means comfort,
or freedom from pain or discomfort. DIS-EASE therefore means not well, and the cause
can be many. A plant disease may therefore be defined as: Any harmful deviation or
alteration from the normal functioning of physiological processes. It is also defined by
some as: Disease is a malfunctioning process that is caused by continuous irritation
which results in suffering. A more practical definition of a disease would be: A plant is
diseased when its systems are not normal and, therefore, it is not producing as well as
it should according to normal expectations of the farmers.

CAUSES OF PLANT DISEASES

Plant diseases can either be infectious or non infectious

1. Non-Infectious plant diseases:- Theses are diseases that has very little or zero
tendency of spreading from one plant / plant parts to another. These includes
a) Nutrient deficiency
b) Toxic substances
c) Weather

2. Infectious plant diseases:- These are diseases that tends to spread from one
plant / plant parts to another. These can be caused by:

a) Fungi
b) Bacteria
c) Viruses
d) Nematodes
e) Algae
f) Parasitic Plants

THE SPREAD OF PLANT DISEASES

Plant diseases are spread in various ways:
1. Spread through seeds and other planting materials such as tubers, rhizomes etc.
2. Spread by natural agents such as wind, water, rain
3. Spread by animals and insects
4. Spread by people

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANT DISEASE

Plant diseases are important because of the loss they cause. Bhutan experienced for
the first time one of the worst rice blast epidemic in 1995 during which most of the rice
growers in Paro and Thimphu suffered heavy losses. Similarly the late blight disease of
potato which is caused by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans) is quite endemic and

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appears again and again when the monsoon is heavy. Once the disease spread it will
inflict heavy loss to potato growers. Apple scab is another disease in apples grown in the
high altitudes of Thimphu, Paro, Haa and Bumthang. For this, most of the orchard owners
in the above regions carry out regular spraying with fungicides. Chilli wilt disease has
become another headache for the agriculture extension. We have not yet found out any
reliable solution. While the incidence of diseases on minor crops may not be of much
concern, when diseases bring about a heavy loss on important cash crops like potato and
apple and staple crops like rice, it is a cause for much concern. One cannot afford to
neglect the plant disease aspects.

REFERENCE
 Singh, R.S. (1983). Plant Diseases.Oxford and IBH, N. Delhi.
 IAC, Wageningen, The Netherlands (1992). 21st International course on IPM -
Handouts on Mycology.
 Bilgrami,K.S. & Dube, H.C. (1976). A Text Book of Modern Plant Pathology.
Vikas Publishing House.

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