Abstract

Plant diseases are worst of the natural hazards in farming that make agriculture a gamble. Numerous diseases attack our economic plants and the losses caused are so heavy in certain seasons that famines occur, bringing in untold sufferings to people. Even in advanced countries like the United States of America, where great progress has been achieved in the control of plant diseases, the loss sustained due to diseases is estimated at three billion dollars every year and it needs no mention that in India, where only a fraction of the farmers take to disease control, the loss sustained would be very much greater. The tragic aspect is that much of this loss is a preventible waste. Waste is unworthy of a great. nation and is contrary to the laws of nature. However, disease control is not easy in all cases. New diseases and new races of old disease- producing organisms appear all the time. Man's interference with the balance of nature, by domestication of plants, intensive cultivation etc. has brought in an increase in the number and intensity of diseases. Hence much remains to be done and continuous intensive research is needed to minimise the losses due to plant diseases.

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