Plant Disease: A Threat to Global Food Security

摘要: A vast number of plant pathogens from viroids a few hundred nucleotides to higher plants cause diseases in our crops. Their effects range mild symptoms catastrophes which large areas planted food crops are destroyed. Catastrophic disease exacerbates the current deficit supply at least 800 million people inadequately fed. Plant difficult control because their populations variable time, space, and genotype. Most insidiously, they evolve, often overcoming resistance that may have been hard-won achievement breeder. In order combat losses cause, it is necessary define problem seek remedies. At biological level, requirements for speedy accurate identification causal organism, estimates severity its effect on yield, virulence mechanisms. Disease then be minimized by reduction pathogen's inoculum, inhibition mechanisms, promotion genetic diversity crop. Conventional breeding has an important role play can now facilitated marker-assisted selection. There also transgenic modification with genes confer resistance. political there need acknowledge threaten supplies devote adequate resources control.