Microbes and Plant Diseases

Correct answer. Stripe disease of wheat is caused by Cochliobolus sativus. Wheat’s false eyespot disease is caused by Hymenula cerealis.

Correct answer. Areolate leaf spot in citrus is caused by Rhizoctonia solani.

Correct answer. In maize, Stewart's disease is caused by Erwinia stewartii and Holcus spot disease is caused by Pseudomonas syringae.

Correct answer. Dry rot disease is caused by Ashbya gossypii and Nematospora coryli in citrus.

Correct answer. Agrobacerium rhizogenes in apple causes hairy root disease.

Rust is a fungal disease caused by basidiomycete fungi that appears as reddish-brown pustules on plant leaves and stems. Yellow vein and leaf curl are typically viral diseases, while plant mosaic can be caused by various viruses. Understanding which pathogens cause specific plant diseases is important for agriculture.

Mycology is the study of fungi, which includes moulds, Mucor (a genus of fungi), and yeast. Euglena is a genus of single-celled flagellate eukaryotes, classified under protists, not fungi. It is studied in protistology or general microbiology, making it the correct answer as an organism NOT studied under mycology.

Rhizopus and mucor are called bread moulds as they grow easily on bread.

Agaricus bisporus is cultivated in more than 70 countries and is one of the most commonly and widely consumed mushrooms in the world. 

A mass of hyphae is called mycelium. A hypha is an elongated cell with many nuclei and branches.

Late blight of potato is a fungal disease. 

Athlete's foot and dhobi's itch are examples of fungal skin infections.

Abiotic factors are non-living physical or chemical components of the environment. Moisture, temperature, and humidity are abiotic factors that can cause grain spoilage during storage. Fungi, mites, and rodents are biotic (living) factors.

Late blight of potato is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans (though technically an oomycete, historically classified as a fungus). This devastating disease caused the Irish Potato Famine. Viruses, amoebae, and bacteria do not cause late blight - they cause other plant diseases but not this specific condition.

Ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a fungal infection of the skin, hair, or nails caused by dermatophytes like Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. These fungi digest keratin and cause characteristic ring-shaped rashes. Bacteria cause different infections (like staphylococcal or streptococcal), viruses cause conditions like chickenpox or measles, and protozoa cause diseases like malaria or dysentery.