ABSTRACT
Fungal diseases Fungi are important saprophytes that recycle dead plant material. They also cause a wide range of plant disease. Fungal spores germinate on a leaf surface or wound site and form a mycelium through the plant. Their life cycles may involve more than one host plant (e.g. wheat rust, which is heteroecious) or a single host plant (e.g. smut fungi, which are autoecious).
