Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pathogenic Fungi, Bacteria and Viruses: A Review
S. S. Sreenivas *
ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute, Rajahmundry-533 105, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Climate change due to global warming is a threat for possible ecosystem disturbance. Global climate change alters ecology and leads to geographical and phenological shifts. Change in climate has an important bearing on farm output with greater influence on microbial diversity, crop diversity, water-use efficiency and land use pattern. There is an increasing need for strategies to manage predicted plant pathogenic diseases likely to occur due to possible climate instability. Climate change warrants considerable research efforts to sustain the food security and farm economy. Anticipated changes in temperature, precipitation and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere are expected to impact crop growth, plant pathogens and their interaction significantly. Plant-pathogenic fungal, bacterial and virus growth, development and disease epiphytotic is guided by critical environmental actors and are crucial in limiting the quality and quantity of agricultural produce. Ecosystem changes are detrimental to existence of bio-diversity due to pests and diseases which are likely by increased adoption process. Dynamic modelling is required to precisely predict the changes that might play crucial role in development of plant-pathogens and their interaction with crop leading to diseases.
Keywords: Climate change, plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria, virus, CO2, temperature, precipitation