Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses and viroids are the living agents that cause plant diseases.

Nematodes are the largest of these agents, while viruses and viroids are the smallest. None of
these pathogens are visible to the naked eye, but the diseases they cause can be detected by
the symptoms of wilting, yellowing, stunting, and abnormal growth patterns.
Symptoms can be classificated based on these terms:
Etiolation - green tissues become yellowish caused by insufficient light
Chlorosis - green tissues become yellowish caused by other factor than light
Necrosis - death of cells resulting affected tissues turn dark
Albinism - tissues turn to white
Vein clearing - leaf veins become whitish or transculent
Interveinal chlorosis - leaf veins remain green but tissues between veins become chlorotic
Mosaic - leaves have pattern of all shades of green to yellow but sharply defined borders
Mottling - variegation less pronounced, diffused bounderies
Lesions - areas of diseased tissues
Localized lesions - restricted areas of diseased tissues.
Hypoplasia - production of subnormal number of cells (become stunted)
Hyperplasia - production of an abnormally large number of cells
Hypotrophy - a subnormal decrease in size of cells
Hypertrophy - an abnormal increase in the size of cells
Rot or rotting - the disintegration and decomposition of plant tissue
Wilt or wilting - loss of freshness or drooping of plants due to inadequate water supply or
excessive transpiration; or a vascular disease interfering with water supply.
Canker - diseases of shrubs and trees
Mummification - initial rotting of fruit by fungal pathogen g transforming the fruit into a dry
shrivelled



Common Symptoms of Diseased Plants

Symptoms of diseased plants vary with different plant pathogens, different host plants, plant parts, infection stages
and environmental conditions. None of these pathogens are visible to the naked eye, but the diseases they cause can
be detected by the symptoms showed. Symptoms can be classificated based on these terms :

Chlorotic - areas may be pale green, light yellow, reddish, purple or white.
Dwarfing - Compared with healthy plants of the same variety, infected plants are much shorter or smaller.
Mosaic - seen as alternative areas of light and dark, or yellow and green on leaves and the areas can be angular,
sharply bordered, or divided by leaf veins.
Mottle - yellow and green, or light and dark areas with less clear or diffuse boundaries on leaves.
Necrosis - death of cells resulting affected tissues turn dark
Necrotic - symptom is shown as areas of dead tissues in leaves.
Wilting - loss of freshness or drooping of plants due to inadequate water supply or excessive transpiration; or a
vascular disease interfering with water supply.
Streaks and Stripes - the streaks or stripes are chlorotic with yellow, red or purple colors. Streaks or stripes may
become necrotic with brown or black colors especially in later stages of infection
Stunting - the reduction in growth of plants.
Tumors - show as roughened or cracked surface.
Hypoplasia production of subnormal number of cells (become stunted)
Hyperplasia production of an abnormally large number of cells
Hypotrophy a subnormal decrease in size of cells
Hypertrophy an abnormal increase in the size of cells
Vein Clearing - vascular tissues results in yellow, clear or translucent tissues around leaf veins.