ABSTRACT
Plant pathologists recently have emphasized that disease epidemics are more frequent in crops than in natural vegetation. The purpose of disease control is to prevent disease damage from exceeding that level where profit or required yield is significantly diminished. Increasing knowledge of the host/pathogen/environment disease triangle has enabled pathologists to apply certain ecological principles to reduce losses from epidemic disease. The methods of biological and cultural control used up to and at the time of crop planting are the most critical for minimizing disease. Biological control frequently involves the exploitation of organisms in the environment to decrease the capacity of the pathogen to cause disease. Biological control includes acting to enhance beneficial microbiology around the plant to suppress the pathogen, or by introducing biological agents in the soil to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens. The literature on soil management practices to enhance existing microbial antagonists is voluminous.
