ABSTRACT
Plant diseases, by their presence, pre vent the cultivation and growth of food plants in some areas. Food plants may be cultivated and grown but plant diseases may attack them, destroy parts or all of the plants, and reduce much of their produce, i.e., food, before they can be harvested or consumed or reduce the quality of produce due to disease symptoms on them. The losses are usually lower in the more developed countries and higher in the developing countries, i.e., countries that need food the most. Considering that 14.1% of the crops are lost to plant diseases alone, the total annual worldwide crop loss from plant diseases is about $14 billion. In spite of significant progress achieved in plant breeding, chemotherapy and other disease management techniques, losses due to diseases remain a major factor in limiting agriculture in many parts of the world, including many developed nations.
