Plant Pathology and Disease Management - Question Bank

1. What is the term for the initial amount of pathogen present in an inoculum?
A) Infection rate
B) Disease severity
C) Inoculum density
D) Pathogen virulence
2. Which of the following is an example of a symptom of abiotic stress in plants?
A) Leaf spots caused by a fungus
B) Rust pustules on leaves
C) Nutrient deficiency yellowing (chlorosis)
D) Galls on roots caused by nematodes
3. What is the term for a pathogen that requires two or more different hosts to complete its life cycle?
A) Monoxenous
B) Heteroxenous
C) Oligoxenous
D) Polyxenous
4. Which management strategy relies on introducing or encouraging natural enemies of the pathogen?
A) Chemical control
B) Cultural control
C) Biological control
D) Physical control
5. What is the primary function of a plant's cuticle in disease resistance?
A) To absorb water and nutrients.
B) To provide a physical barrier against pathogen entry.
C) To store reserve food.
D) To facilitate gas exchange.
6. Which of the following is a common sign of a viral disease visible to the naked eye?
A) Bacterial ooze
B) Fungal mycelium
C) Mosaic patterns on leaves
D) Root knots
7. What is the term for a disease that spreads worldwide?
A) Epidemic
B) Endemic
C) Epizootic
D) Pandemic
8. Which disease management strategy involves planting different crops in the same field in sequential seasons?
A) Intercropping
B) Cover cropping
C) Crop rotation
D) Companion planting
9. What is the term for the genetic makeup of a plant that determines its susceptibility or resistance to a disease?
A) Phenotype
B) Genotype
C) Morphology
D) Physiology
10. Which type of biological control agent uses another organism to parasitize or prey on the plant pathogen?
A) Antagonists
B) Predators
C) Parasitoids
D) Competitors
11. What is the term for the process where a pathogen enters and establishes itself within a host plant?
A) Sporulation
B) Inoculation
C) Infection
D) Dissemination
12. Which of the following is a common symptom of a fungal disease like rust?
A) Wilting and yellowing of leaves
B) Formation of pustules containing spores, often orange, yellow, or brown
C) Water-soaked lesions on stems
D) Distorted leaves and stunted growth
13. What is the term for a pathogen that can only infect one specific host species?
A) Oligophagous
B) Polyphagous
C) Monophagous
D) Stenophagous
14. Which factor is crucial for the germination of fungal spores?
A) High temperature
B) Presence of moisture
C) Absence of light
D) High concentration of salts
15. What are the small, typically black, hardened masses of fungal mycelium that can survive for long periods?
A) Oospores
B) Ascospores
C) Conidia
D) Sclerotia
16. Which method of disease control involves manipulating the environment to make it less favorable for pathogens?
A) Biological control
B) Chemical control
C) Cultural control
D) Genetic control
17. What is the term for the dormant stage of some plant pathogens that allows them to survive unfavorable conditions?
A) Mycelium
B) Spore
C) Sclerotium
D) Hypha
18. Which of the following is a common sign of a bacterial disease like blight?
A) Fuzzy white growth on leaves
B) Water-soaked lesions that turn brown or black
C) Yellowing of leaf veins
D) Root swellings
19. What is the process by which a pathogen multiplies within the host?
A) Dissemination
B) Inoculation
C) Infection
D) Colonization
20. Which term describes a plant disease that is consistently present in a population at a low level?
A) Epidemic
B) Pandemic
C) Endemic
D) Epiphytic
21. What is the primary role of a vector in plant disease transmission?
A) To provide nutrients to the pathogen.
B) To carry and transmit the pathogen from one plant to another.
C) To inhibit pathogen growth.
D) To enhance plant resistance.
22. Which of the following is a characteristic of a systemic fungicide?
A) It remains on the plant surface.
B) It is absorbed by the plant and translocated within its tissues.
C) It kills the fungus only on contact.
D) It is applied only to the soil.
23. What is the term for a disease that spreads rapidly and affects a large number of plants in a short period?
A) Endemic
B) Sporadic
C) Epidemic
D) Pandemic
24. Which disease management practice involves removing and destroying infected plant parts?
A) Crop rotation
B) Sanitation
C) Mulching
D) Pruning
25. What is the term for the collective mass of fungal hyphae that forms the body of a fungus?
A) Spore
B) Mycelium
C) Rhizoid
D) Sporangium
26. Which pathogen type is characterized by its filamentous growth and spore production?
A) Bacteria
B) Viruses
C) Fungi
D) Nematodes
27. What is the main purpose of seed treatment in disease management?
A) To increase seed germination rate.
B) To protect seeds and seedlings from soil-borne and seed-borne pathogens.
C) To improve the nutritional content of the seed.
D) To enhance the physical strength of the seed coat.
28. Which type of plant disease is caused by an abiotic factor?
A) Powdery mildew
B) Bacterial blight
C) Frost damage
D) Wheat rust
29. What is the term for the substance produced by a host plant to defend itself against a pathogen?
A) Toxin
B) Enzyme
C) Phytoalexin
D) Hormone
30. Which of the following is a characteristic symptom of a nematode infection?
A) White powdery spots on leaves
B) Root galls or deformities
C) Sudden wilting of the entire plant
D) Black spots on fruits
31. What is the primary function of endophytes in plant pathology?
A) To cause disease in plants.
B) To live within plant tissues without causing apparent harm, sometimes offering protection.
C) To decompose dead plant material.
D) To facilitate pollination.
32. Which of the following is a major advantage of using resistant plant varieties for disease management?
A) They are always immune to all diseases.
B) They reduce or eliminate the need for chemical treatments.
C) They require more water than susceptible varieties.
D) They are more susceptible to environmental stress.
33. What is the term for the ability of a pathogen to cause disease?
A) Inoculum potential
B) Virulence
C) Pathogenicity
D) Infection rate
34. Which disease management strategy involves altering the planting date to avoid peak pathogen activity?
A) Sanitation
B) Crop rotation
C) Cultural control
D) Biological control
35. What is the role of the appressorium in fungal infection?
A) To absorb nutrients from the host.
B) To anchor the fungus and facilitate penetration.
C) To produce spores for dispersal.
D) To detoxify host defense compounds.
36. What is an example of a bacterial plant pathogen?
A) Erwinia amylovora
B) Puccinia graminis
C) Fusarium oxysporum
D) Phytophthora infestans
37. Which of the following is a common symptom of viral plant diseases?
A) Rotting of fruits
B) Leaf curl or distortion
C) Powdery white patches on leaves
D) Galls on roots
38. What is the term for a disease that affects a single plant species?
A) Oligoparasitic
B) Polyparasitic
C) Monoxenous
D) Heteroxenous
39. What is the primary goal of integrated pest management (IPM) in plant pathology?
A) To eradicate all pathogens.
B) To use chemical pesticides exclusively.
C) To manage diseases using a combination of methods to minimize economic damage and environmental impact.
D) To rely solely on resistant plant varieties.
40. Which type of fungicide inhibits fungal growth without necessarily killing the fungus?
A) Contact fungicide
B) Systemic fungicide
C) Fungistat
D) Fungicide
41. What is plant quarantine?
A) A treatment to kill pathogens on seeds.
B) A method of crop rotation.
C) Regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases.
D) A type of fungicide.
42. Which factor is NOT typically considered part of the disease triangle?
A) Susceptible Host
B) Virulent Pathogen
C) Favorable Environment
D) Abundant Sunlight
43. What is an example of a plant disease sign?
A) Wilting
B) Yellowing leaves
C) Fungal mycelium on plant surface
D) Stunted growth
44. What are symptoms of plant diseases?
A) Visible or invisible changes in the host plant due to disease.
B) The physical structure of the pathogen.
C) The environmental conditions favoring disease.
D) The genetic resistance of the plant.
45. Which of the following is a common mode of pathogen dispersal?
A) Photosynthesis
B) Transpiration
C) Wind and water
D) Respiration
46. What is the process by which a pathogen penetrates the host's physical barriers?
A) Germination
B) Penetration
C) Invasion
D) Dissemination
47. Which phase of a disease cycle involves the initial entry of a pathogen into the host?
A) Inoculation
B) Infection
C) Colonization
D) Sporulation
48. What is the term for a disease-causing microorganism?
A) Saprophyte
B) Symbiont
C) Pathogen
D) Commensal
49. Which of the following is an example of a necrotrophic pathogen?
A) Mildews
B) Rusts
C) Viruses
D) Botrytis cinerea
50. What is the primary characteristic of a biotrophic pathogen?
A) It kills host cells rapidly after infection.
B) It requires living host cells to complete its life cycle.
C) It secretes enzymes to break down host cell walls.
D) It colonizes dead host tissues.
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