Plant Pathogens and Disease Types
Part of Plant Diseases and Defenses · GCSE GCSE Biology revision
This deep dive covers Plant Pathogens and Disease Types within Plant Diseases and Defenses for GCSE Biology. Plant pathogens, defense mechanisms, disease identification, crop protection It is section 3 of 18 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 18
Practice
22 questions
Recall
21 flashcards
Plant Pathogens and Disease Types
Types of Plant Pathogens
Fungal Pathogens
- Most common plant diseases
- Spread by spores through air or water
- Thrive in warm, moist conditions
- Examples: Rose black spot, potato blight
Bacterial Pathogens
- Enter through wounds or natural openings
- Spread by water, insects, or tools
- Cause wilting, spots, or soft rot
- Examples: Fire blight, bacterial canker
Viral Pathogens
- Need vectors (insects) to spread
- Cannot be cured once inside plant
- Cause stunting and deformation
- Examples: TMV, cucumber mosaic virus
Other Pathogens
- Nematodes (roundworms)
- Protists (e.g., Phytophthora)
- Parasitic plants (e.g., dodder)
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Plant Diseases and Defenses. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Plant Diseases and Defenses
What type of pathogen causes rose black spot disease?
Explain how rose black spot affects the growth of infected plants.
Quick Recall Flashcards
22 questions on Plant Diseases and Defenses — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 21 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
Try PrepWise Free