soilborne plant pathogens and identify effective treatments and practices that prevent and/or control the diseases they cause, thus improving crop yield and quality and reducing grower costs. Soilborne pathogens are # tiny organisms like bacteria, viruses, or fungi # that infect plant roots, stems, and leaves, leading to reduce plant growth, # increase costs to the growers, # and potential damage to the environment. Case study 1 : Cotton seedling Diseases caused by soilborne pathogens can :
# kill or weaken seeds and seedlings,
# delay crop growth, # or require costly replanting.
Commonly cotton seed is universally treated
with fungicides prior to sale, growers must decide whether to use additional fungicides to ward off disease. • Growers need to know which treatments are most effective for their specific problems and growing conditions in order to prevent needless expenses, ineffective treatments, and crop losses. • Soilborne pathogens are also problematic for bedding plants and vegetable transplants • Although production of these plants takes place in greenhouses where environmental conditions can be controlled and sanitation is practiced, • many greenhouses inadvertently provide conditions favorable for pathogen survival. Even one diseased plant can result in the loss of the entire flat of plants. Chalenges • Though these soilborne pathogens and others are common throughout the world, we know little about their genetics, making it difficult to develop control methods. Chalenges • Because fungicide use is not consistently effective, economical, ecologically desirable (due to environmental and worker exposure concerns), or commercially desirable (production of pesticide-free or organic crops can increase crop value by 30%), biological control and plant growth promoting agents should be considered key management components. Case Study 2 : Potato • Potato crop, the world’s number one non-grain food commodity, is the fourth main food crop in the world after maize, rice and wheat, with 325 million tons produced in 2007. • Potatoes are grown in more than 100 countries, mainly in Asia (135 million tons) and Europe (130 million tons; FAO 2008 ). • They have good gustative and nutritional qualities and can be grown under various climates. • However, potato crop can suffer more than 40 pests and diseases caused by insects, nematodes, viruses, bacteria, and fungi . • Those pathogens are air-or soil-borne and cause damages on all parts of the plant. • Soil-borne diseases affecting potato crop can be divided into two groups depending on symptoms: symptoms damaging tubers and those damaging other parts of the plant (Gudmes tad et al. 2007 ). Major Concept for Concern : 1.Soil invaders vs. soil Inhabitants 2.Inoculum potential, including the stimulation of plant pathogen by root exudates and other sources of nutrients 3.The environmental stresses can predispose hosts to infection and disease 4.Soil microorganisms influence pathogen survival and development IMPACT STATEMENTS