Plant Disease
Epidemiology:
Temporal Aspects


Phil A. Arneson
Cornell University

Arneson, P.A. 2001 (Revised 2006). Plant Disease Epidemiology: Temporal Aspects. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-A-2001-0524-01. NOTE: This material is formatted for a display resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.

From the time that the first farmers began to cultivate plants, people have been concerned with reducing the crop losses caused by plant diseases. Through the evolution of our crop production technologies over the last ten thousand years, the principles of plant disease management have been woven into the fabric of our civilization. The decisions of when, where, and what to plant and the development of specific cultural practices have been based on countless generations of trial and error. Without a doubt, the successful farming methods depended upon being able to suppress the development of plant pathogens, even if the farmer had no particular awareness of the underlying biological mechanisms that led to her or his success. Everywhere in the world, either directly or indirectly, our attempts to manage plant disease have determined what we eat and where we have settled.

This unit describes how plant disease develops through time, and it introduces mathematical models of plant disease epidemics. Examples from the published literature show how these models can be used to help make management decisions.



Plant Disease Epidemiology?

Disease Progress

Mathematical Models

Modelling Disease Progress

Plant Disease Management Strategies

Plant Disease Management: Simulation

Epidemiology References

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