Plant Attack By Insects
- Plants can be attacked by insects such as aphids which extract nutrients from the plant stunting it’s growth
Diagnosing Plant Diseases
Look for:
- Discolouration
- Spots on leaves
- Stunted growth
- Decay
- Growths
- Malformed stems or leaves
Identify Plant Diseases
- Use garden manuals or websites
- Take to a lab to identify pathogen
- Us testing kits containing monoclonal antibodies
Plant Ion deficiencies
Nitrate
- Causes stunted growth
- Needed for protein synthesis
Magnesium
- Causes chlorosis - discolouration
- Needed to make chlorophyll
Specific Plant Diseases
- Rose Black Spot: Fungus causes dark spots on rose leaves; treated with fungicides.
- Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Virus creates mottled leaf patterns; prevention through resistant varieties.