Detection and Identification of Plant Diseases Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

List the signs by which a plant disease can be detected.

Stunted growth, spots on leaves, areas of decay (rot), growths, malformed stems or leaves, discolouration, and the presence of pests.

Give three ways a plant disease can be identified.

Using a gardening manual or website; sending an infected plant to a laboratory; using monoclonal antibody testing kits.

Name the required example of a viral, a fungal and an insect infection of plants.

Viral: tobacco mosaic virus. Fungal: rose black spot. Insect: aphids.

Which ion deficiency causes stunted growth in a plant?

Nitrate ion deficiency — nitrate ions are needed for protein synthesis and therefore growth.

What is chlorosis, and which ion deficiency causes it?

Yellowing of the leaves through lack of chlorophyll; caused by magnesium ion deficiency, as magnesium ions are needed to make chlorophyll.

True or false? Yellow leaves on a plant are always caused by infection with a pathogen.

False. Discolouration can also be caused by an ion deficiency, e.g. chlorosis from a lack of magnesium ions.