Plant Diseases And Defences Flashcards
What does the cuticle protect?
Plant leaves and stems
What does the cuticle do?
Provides a physical barrier against pathogens and may stop pathogens that are transferred by fluids from entering the leaf as it stops water collection
What do the cell walls do?
Forms a physical barrier against pathogens and helps keep them out the cell if they get past the cuticle
Name some chemical defences that plants produce
Antiseptics which kill bacteria and fungus and chemicals to deter pests from feeding on their leaves
How are plant chemicals used in modern medicine?
They can be used as drugs to relieve human diseases or relieve symptoms
Give the name of two drugs that came form chemical plant defences
Aspirin to relieve pain and fever which was developed form salicylic in bark and leaves of willow trees
Artemisinin treats malaria extracted from the wormwood plant
How do farmers check their plants are healthy?
Through observations using a drone and camera
Why does a farmer have to check the plants are healthy?
To prevent loss of yield and treat the crop correctly
When do plants show signs of stress?
When there’s too little water / not enough nutrients e.t.c
What signs will plants show if they are under stress?
Changes in growth, colour or the appearance of lesions
What does distribution analysis do?
Looks at where the damaged plants occur. Diseases spread by wind will affect plants over a wide area but soil pathogens create an obvious pattern of damaged plants
What can sometimes be the only way to tell what’s wrong with a plant?
Send samples to a lab for testing
What do the tests that diagnose plants include?
Trying to grow a pathogen from damaged crop plants or using technology to identify the presence of genetic material form a pathogen
What else may farmers send off with the plant samples to a lab?
Soil samples to test for nutrients and toxins
What is the use of diagnostic testing?
Helps the lab be more certain of the cause of the problem
