Plant Biology & Agricultural Sciences

Plant pathology is a field that studies plant diseases and aims to increase plant survival when confronted with poor environmental conditions and disease-causing parasitic microbes. Plant pathology is the study of biotic and abiotic factors that cause plants to fall short of their genetic potential, with the goal of developing interventions to protect plants, reduce crop losses, and increase food security. When virulent pathogens infect susceptible plants under favorable environmental conditions, it is called a biotic disease. Diseases that are caused by physical or chemical non-living factors are called abiotic diseases.