NON-PARASITIC AGENTS OF PLANT DISEASES Also called abiotic, non-living, non-infectious, and non-pathogenic factors.

tors. Almost any of a variety of the environmental and cultural factors, under extreme or improper conditions, can cause disease in plants. Since these diseases occur in the absence of pathogens, they do not spread from diseased plant to healthy plant. Non-infectious diseases, w/c sometimes arise very suddenly, are caused by the excess, deficiency, nonavailability, or improper balance of various factors. The non-living or environmental causes of plant disease can be divided into: (1) unfavorable (too low or too high) temperature (2) lack or excess moisture (3) lack of aeration (4) air pollution (5) nutrient deficiencies (6) mineral toxicities (7) unfavorable soil pH (too low or too high) (8) pesticide toxicity, and (9) improper cultural practices (10) physical injury

HIGH OR LOW TEMPERATURE When plants or plant parts are exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods, symptoms of scorching or scalding may develop on the exposed parts. Some examples: sunburn or scorching of leaves, sunscald of fruits (example: apples, tomatoes, peppers, melons). The drought and dry winds that often accompany high temperatures cause stunting, wilting, blasting, marginal scorching of leaves, and dieback of shoots. Leaf scorch is common on trees in exposed locations following hot, dry, windy weather when water is lost from leaves faster than it is absorbed by roots. Similarly, low temperatures like frost or freeze, can damage the exposed or sensitive organs (leaves, buds, flowers, young fruits, etc.) or may kill the entire plant. Frost injury is relatively common, but temperatures just above freezing also may cause damage, such as net necrosis (localized tissue death) in potato tubers and silvering of corn leaves. Too much soil moisture, due to excessive watering, poor drainage, ponding or flooding, may cause the plants to turn yellow and stunted. The plants may die due to lack of aeration to the root system or due to root rots and damping-off caused by pathogens that thrive under these conditions. Some examples: poor development and root rots of potted indoor plants, damping-off of seedlings. In some indoor or greenhouse plants growing under warm, humid atmosphere and excessive soil moisture, a condition known as edema (small, wart-like, rusty, corky bumps) may develop on the underside of the leaves, and on stems. At the other extreme, low moisture availability or drought will lead to poor development, wilting and death of the plants. Blossom-end rot of tomato and pepper is prevalent when soil moisture and temperature levels fluctuate widely and calcium is low. HIGH OR LOW LIGHT INTENSITY High light intensity is usually not a problem, but low light conditions, especially for indoor plants, may lead to etiolation (poor, spindly or lanky growth with chlorotic foliage). LACK OF AERATION OR LOW OXYGEN SUPPLY Low aeration (ex: under flooded soil conditions) may deprive roots of adequate oxygen and can adversely affect the development or even kill the plant. Inadequate oxygen supply during storage of potato tubers may lead to development of a condition called black heart, with browning and necrosis of internal tuber tissue. AIR POLLUTION Certain chemicals are released into the air and can accumulate in the atmosphere in sufficient concentration to cause damage to plants directly or through their reaction products. The major pollutants toxic to plants are sulfur dioxide, flourine, ozone, and peroxyacetyl nitrate. Sulfur Dioxide Results primarily from the burning of large amounts of soft coal and high-sulfur oil. It is toxic to a wide range of plants at concentrations as low as 0.25 part per million of air for 8 to 24 hours.

Fluorine Gaseous and particulate fluorides are toxic to sensitive plants because they are accumulated by leaves. They are also toxic to animals that feed on such foliage. Fluorine injury is common near metal-ore smelters, refineries, and industries making fertilizers, ceramics, aluminum, glass and bricks. Ozone and Peroxyacetyl Nitrate Injuries caused by these pollutants are more prevalent in and near cities w/ heavy traffic problems. Ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate and other oxidizing chemicals (smog) are formed when sunlight reacts w/ nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. This pollutant complex is damaging to susceptible plants many kilometers from its source. Ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate are capable of causing injury if present at levels of 0.01 to 0.05 part per million for several hours. NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES Plants require several major elements for normal growth. Macroelements include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Microelements, w/c are needed by plants in minute quantities include iron, boron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, chlorine, magnesium, and calcium. Deficiency (absence or inadequate amount) of any of these essential nutrients results in disease symptoms in the plant, specific symptoms being dependent on the plant species and the deficient nutrient. If not corrected, prolonged acute deficiency of essential nutrients may lead to death of the plant. Nitrogen Deficiency Severely restricted growth, upright habit. Leaves pale green color. Phosphorus Deficiency Restricted growth, leaves rolled forward. defoliation of oldest leaves. Magnesium Deficiency Chlorosis and necrosis of leaves, defoliation. Potassium Deficiency leaves bluish-green and intervenal chlorosis, spotting and marginal scorch present. Manganese Deficiency Intervenal chlorosis. Calcium Deficiency Leaves curled forward; margins scorched and ragged. Boron Deficiency Old leaves wilted, scorched and show patches of yellow pigment. MINERAL TOXICITY Excess minerals can damage plants either directly, causing stunting, deformities, or dieback, or indirectly by interfering with the absorption and use of other nutrients, resulting in subsequent deficiency symptoms. A superabundance of nitrogen for example, may cause deficiency symptoms of potassium, zinc, or other nutrient elements; a lack of or delay in flower and fruit development; and a predisposition to winter injury. If potassium is high, calcium and magnesium deficiencies may occur. Excessive amounts of sodium salts in soil may lead to high pH and to alkali injury (example: alkali injury to apple). Another example is manganese or aluminum toxicity to plants growing in acidic soils. Boron toxicity narrow brown marginal rims on leaflets

UNFAVORABLE SOIL pH Under conditions of high soil pH, iron in the soil becomes unavailable to the plant, thus inducing interveinal chlorosis and yellowing of leaves followed by twig die-back. The plant may die if the condition remains uncorrected for prolonged time. Some of the pesticides, if improperly used, may cause serious damage to the plants. For example, if wettable sulfur is sprayed (for powdery mildew control) on a very hot day (above 90F), it will result in injury to the plant (phytotoxicity). the most common type of chemical injury to the plants in recent years has been due to soil residues or spray contamination or drift of herbicides on to non-target plants. Examples: 2,4-D damage to beans and tomatoes, dicamba (Banvel) damage to vegetables and trees, glyphosate (Roundup) damage to fruit trees. Some of the persistent herbicides used as soil sterilants may leave the ground unsuitable for any plant growth for several years. IMPROPER CULTURAL PRACTICES Any of the cultural practices done in a wrong way or at the wrong time may result in significant damage to the plants. Injury due to excessive amounts of chemical (fertilizer or pesticide) or improper chemical mixes in the spray tank, excessively deep cultivation leading to root pruning, distorted and twisted roots of pot-bound plants, are all examples of such a type of damage. African violet leaves sprinkled with very cold water develop rings and ring-like patterns that resemble symptoms caused by some viruses. PHYSICAL INJURY Lightning, hail, high winds, ice and snow loads, machinery, insect and animal feeding, and various cultural practices may seriously injure plants or plant products. With the exception of lightning, which may cause death of trees and succulent crop plants in limited areas, such injury does not usually kill plants. Wounds are created, however, through which pathogens may enter.