Emerging infectious plant diseases

Authors: FLETCHER, JACQUELINE - Oklahoma State University; Luster, Douglas - Doug; BOSTOCK, RICHARD - University Of California Agriculture And Natural Resources (UCANR); BURANS, JAMES - Us Deparment Of Homeland Security; CARDWELL, KITTY - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); Gottwald, Timothy; MCDANIEL, LARRY - Us Deparment Of Homeland Security; ROYER, MATTHEW - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); SMITH, KENT - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

Submitted to: Emerging Infections
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2010
Publication Date: 6/1/2010
Citation: Fletcher, J., Luster, D.G., Bostock, R., Burans, J., Cardwell, K., Gottwald, T.R., Mcdaniel, L., Royer, M., Smith, K. 2010. Emerging infectious plant diseases. Emerging Infections. doi: 10.1128/9781555816803.ch18.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Healthy plants are essential to the survival of humans and animals on earth. Despite the value of plants, however, threats to plant health are generally considered secondary in importance to those of humans and animals. Although the most extensively studied pathogens are those causing disease on staple crops (i.e. wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, and potatoes), pathogens attack virtually all plants, including those cultivated for ornamental purposes and those in natural ecosystems such as forests and rangelands. Fungal pathogens are generally recognized as the group responsible for the greatest damage to plants in both agricultural and natural ecosystems, compared with other groups, but all pathogen types are implicated in significant plant disease events. The purpose of this chapter is to provide insights into the types of pathogens that threaten plants, the nature of the U.S. plant health infrastructure, and the resources available to respond to recover from new and emerging plant diseases.